[Vol. 7] Chapter 204: Inner Demon
“You…?”
Seeing such a strange thing suddenly appear from her own body, Orluk instinctively looked down at her chest, partly covered by her coat over the thin nightdress she wore. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She had clearly noticed nothing unusual earlier when she bathed at night. But now, right over the skin of her upper chest, there was a strange gray flame-like mark, shaped exactly like the strange thing floating before her. It looked like a seed, or perhaps some kind of mysterious parasite living inside her body. It pulsed softly, as if breathing. Just looking at it made her feel uneasy.
Covering the strange mark on her chest with one hand, Orluk took a small step back and calmly asked in a cautious tone:
“What exactly are you? Why did you come near us? Are those nightmares I’ve been having lately your doing?”
Hearing the clear suspicion and hostility in the girl’s voice, the gray flame let out a low laugh. Its voice carried a kind of deep and unclear meaning.
“No need to be so tense. It’s true that the dreams are connected to me, but I wasn’t trying to torture you on purpose. Rather than saying I approached you, it’s more accurate to say that your sealed-up emotions met the right conditions. That made the dream-seed grow stronger, and that’s why I was finally able to take this form and appear in front of you.”
“From the view of a normal human, you’re quite impressive~”
Orluk took another step back, her eyes sharp and wary as she stared at the strange flame drifting in the air, looking like a ghostly fire, and yet not even fully real. She was clearly watching carefully in case it suddenly tried to attack. Her pupils narrowed slightly.
“I get it now… I get it! You’re working with that creepy magician from earlier today, aren’t you? He must’ve used the chance to plant you inside me… Your target is Princess Carinvega!?”
“Carinvega… oh, you mean the princess you secretly have feelings for, the one in your memories? Heh… there’s no need to worry. I’m not interested in normal people. On the contrary, I could help you achieve your true wishes, give you the power to protect her, maybe even beat the others who want her heart, and win her love~”
The gray flame’s voice was deep and smooth, like a devil tempting someone who doesn’t know any better. But instead of showing the embarrassment a normal girl might feel when her secret love is exposed, Orluk frowned. She had caught something important in what it just said.
“You… you looked into my memories? My past… you saw it all?”
The flame gently swayed, giving off a strange and hard-to-describe feeling, both mysterious and dizzying. It calmly explained.
“That’s just a necessary part of the dream-seed growing and merging. Don’t call it something as unpleasant as ‘spying.’ In your old world, didn’t you have the concept of ‘inner demons’? In a way, what you’re seeing right now is the form of your inner demon. It’s just that I’ve merged with the dream-seed. That’s why I know your deepest, most honest desires so well.”
“You…”
Before Orluk could say anything more, the strange being interrupted her:
“You’re about to say I’m trying to tempt you? Heh, you’re right, I do have the power to influence the hearts of people. But you’re a smart human, so I’ll just explain it plainly. The presence of a nightmare inside you does have a goal. But that goal doesn’t go against what you want. In fact, the way nightmares exist is probably very different from what you think.”
The gray flame paused for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to explain things in a way that someone with little knowledge could understand.
“Have you ever heard of something called a ‘Spirit of Law’? In truth, a nightmare doesn’t have a clear mind or personality like you humans talk about. It’s simply a representation of a certain kind of power, a concept. It’s born from the dream-seed after it takes root, and it shapes a personality based on the desires and emotions of its host.”
“I am [Nightmare], and I’m also the part of you that became your inner demon. Lukeke, in a way, I am you. As a nightmare, I do need to use my host to achieve a goal, but I will never harm you or do anything against your interests. Can you understand it this way?”
“Strong emotions can become a kind of power. They create the soil where shadows grow. You know what I’m talking about. You know I’m not lying. Just remember, a nightmare didn’t choose you, you were the one who resonated with that power. That’s why I was born.”
[Nightmare] spoke slowly and clearly. Its voice wasn’t loud, almost calm, but every word felt like a sharp needle poking at the deepest wounds in Orluk’s heart, stirring up the flame of desire.
“So then… what will you do? Will you reject me, pretend none of this ever happened tonight? You’re special, so [Nightmare] is giving you this one chance to choose.”
“With just one thought, the dream-seed will disappear from you completely. Then you can go back to being like green leaves surrounding a beautiful flower, following that princess closely, the only one who gave you warmth and hope after that old man. You can wag your tail like a dog, trying hard to please and make her happy, and in the end, fade into the crowd like everyone else.”
“Or… you can take this once-in-a-lifetime chance, work together with [Nightmare], and truly, completely make her yours. Dreams come from the heart. As long as the pain from losing your loved ones and the hole in your soul are filled with something new and strong, the nightmares that haunt you will disappear… right?”
“I…”
Orluk fell silent.
Yes, this creature was clearly trying to tempt her, but everything it said was true. In fact, it was almost too honest, and that made her hesitate even more.
She had always known. Known what she truly wanted in her heart, and known that she could probably never get it. Princess Carinvega appeared quietly in her life during its darkest time and became the only light that chased away the shadows in her heart.
But the brighter the light, the more shadows it creates.
There were too many others, just like her, who had been saved by the princess and now loved and followed her. Even among just the women, Rosie, Gladys, and Noelle, they were all more talented than Orluk, standing closer to the princess. In the academy, throughout the capital, the number of rivals who admired the princess was endless. And then there were also those with noble status, strong backgrounds, princes and princesses from other nations…
Other than being good at stealing, Orluk had nothing. She was just a girl who shamelessly followed behind the princess, always wanting warmth and light, and someone who could be replaced at any time. So how could someone like her win the princess’s heart?
Especially after what happened earlier that day, when that mysterious magician attacked and she couldn’t fight back at all. It was the princess who had to step in and protect her. That scene deeply hurt her already fragile and insecure heart.
[Nightmare] understood all of this perfectly. That’s why it gave her a tempting offer that was almost impossible to refuse.
A scary creature that could see straight into people’s hearts.
And Orluk had to admit… she was tempted.