Mickey had gotten home quite late last night. This was because he got a bit carried away by the tour around what he could only term as the real world. The first thing he did was gather the leaves of his grandfather's notebook, the one he had ripped apart out of frustration.
He resorted to mending it with the left-over glue from frequently mending his time-worn shoes. Those along with duck tapes were constant items on his budget. With them in his arsenal, even the things that were ruined past repair were brought back to life.
As he went on, binding each leaf to their rightful columns, an uncertainty weighed at the back of his mind. It was clear to him that his grandfather's medallion was a marker for initiating a pact between man and demon, although in modern times, a pendent was preferred. But what was unsettling was why it disintegrated.
Back then, after the selfless sharing of the knowledge to utilize demonic essence, the backlash on the human mind, body, and soul was devastating. This highlighted how special those mysterious people were.
As humanities only hope again the scourge of demons, great alchemists that excelled in the study of science, runes, and arcane magic joined hands to form a think-tank called The Alchemist Revolution.
This organization was tasked with studying pacts formed with demons and devising a way to stabilize the risk that came with it. As for the sacrifice to make, it was for the demon in question to decide.
After resulting in a lot of unprecedented ways, one of which was the medallion, they had finally found a way to mix rare gemstones, runes and arcane element to forge a pendent capable of sealing majority of the demons power. This was to prevent users from getting overwhelmed by demonic essence.
The properties of the elements used to create these pendents determined which kind of demon a pact could be formed with. The pendents were highly earned artifacts that could be purchased from the Alchemist Revolutionary Army or other institutions funding the war. But never in the history behind these pendents, was there a case of a pendent turning to dust after a pact is formed.
Did it mean they were bounded for life and that the bond could not be revoked? More importantly, wasn't these things artifacts for suppressing demonic essence? Was it the reason why his eyes took the blunt effect of the demonic vision filter? Last but not the least of his worries, did this mean all the other attributes he will unlock in the future might as well lead him to an early grave?
All these thoughts lingered at the back of his mind, but instead of worrying, a smile covered his face. He had been a loser for as long as he could remember. Therefore, an opportunity like this was priceless. It was a dream come true for him.
"I will finally have some value in this wretched world." Mickey declared with a large smirk. Then he dropped the notebook on the table and got overly dramatic. He pumped his chest with his hands pressed on his waist, imitating a superhero. Mickey started to march back and forth in the small and cluttered room, lost in his own world.
"I am the mighty hero! Fear my wrath, Demon!" he whispered dramatically.
As he walked, he daydreamed of holding a demon up by the neck, his eyes filled with determination.
"You dare harm innocent humans? Not on my watch! I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget."
Suddenly, Mickey's dramatic persona vanishes, replaced by a mischievous grin. "Oh, please, mighty hero! Spare me! I promise I won't harm anyone ever again! Please, I beg of you, show me mercy!" Mickey begged in a raspy demonic voice.
He dropped to his knees, clasping his hands and tilting his head at an angle, pretending to be the demon pleading for his life.
"I am but a lowly demon banished from my realm. I seek redemption, oh great hero!" Mickey continued to imitate a demon. He lets out at theatrical cry, pressing his palm to his forehead as he continues.
"No light shall guide me, for darkness has become my solace. Without you, oh, virtuous one, I am forever condemned!" he pleaded, dramatically falling to the ground, arms outstretched.
Looking defeated, Mickey switched back to neither the hero nor the demon but himself. He was trying to imitate a third character whom he portrayed as a tormented human.
"Oh, light! Mighty hero! Please, show me the way! I cannot bear this darkness any longer!"
Mickey looked towards the ceiling, his eyes filled with exaggerated desperation. But just when he was about to continue…
"HAHAHA!!! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!" Zany laughed hysterically, "Such an outstanding performance, I'm impressed. But get this straight, a demon wouldn't resort to begging for mercy."
"??!" Mickey was lost for words as he thought more about this demon figure in his head. Since when was it commonplace for man and demon to coexist together and to share a bond of friendship. Perhaps this demon was just taunting him like a lion toying with a lamb before it feasts on it.
"And what is this system, a demon's incentive?" Mickey pondered, "Or does he want me to enjoy one heartfelt moment with a gaming console before he devours me?"
Mickey had neither heard of a pendent that came with a digital screen or a demon with a digital screen.
"Are you a tech demon?"asked Mickey in a barely audible voice, for fear he might piss Zany off.
"Whoa!…don't make me laugh." Zany replied.
"Then what are you a demon of, what can you do?" Mickey asked out of curiosity. "Back at school, the flame that led to my expulsion was you, right? So is it fire?"
"Does it mean I will be able to shoot flames from my palm and eyes and even breath out flame?"
"??!"
"Say something." said Mickey, looking eager and hopeful as he calls out to the empty space.
"Ahem!!" Zany cleared his throat, "I...I..."
"Oh oh, can you shoot fireballs? Teleport? Fly? Control minds? Create illusions? Stop time? Heal wounds? Shape-shift? Summon mythical creatures? Speak with animals? Control the weather?" With a surge of excitement, Mickey hastily fired questions after questions, not allowing Zany to get a word in.
"Hold on, eager lad. Your excitement is admirable, but my memory is jagged after being confined within the medallion for so long. I don't quite remember all of my powers." Zany disclosed.
"And about the incident at your school, I don't know if it was my doing. Perhaps I possess pyrokinesis, but we won't know until you find out what you can do."
Mickey's face fell, a glimmer of disappointment crossing his eyes.
"Oh, I was hoping you remember something. But tell me, what do you remember? Anything at all?" Mickey asked in a disappointed tone.
Zany considered Mickey's question as he tried to recollect fragments of his memory.
"I recall a few fragments of abilities, scattered like ashes. They feel like mine, yet they feel so distant. As if they don't belong to me." Zany said, thoughtfully
"The power to manipulate shadows, an ability that enables one to move undetected and conceal themself from prying eyes. Conjuring illusions, distorting reality in subtle ways." He continued.
"And there's something else, though the memory eludes me. It's a power that connects to the depths of one's mind, allowing one to glimpse into the secrets people keep hidden."
Mickey's eyes widened with intrigue, his disappointment melting away.
"The power of shadow manipulation and glimpsing into minds? That's incredible!" He exclaimed in amazement. "Maybe we can discover more about your other powers together."
Zany sensing Mickey's genuine enthusiasm and curiosity nodded appreciatively.
"Hmm! Indeed."
Just then, a loud knock from the door startled Mickey.
"Uh-oh… Who could that be?" He whispered
Mickey hesitated for a moment, his heart racing. He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to approach the door cautiously. As he reached the door, he heard the knock once again. This time, it was louder, echoing in the quiet room. He decided to peep through the small eye hole in the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the visitor.
"Oh no! It's a paladin from the Alchemist Revolutionary Army!" shocked
His eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man before him. The paladin stood tall, clad in the distinctive thick blue leather armor of a paladin. A black cloak concealed the lower part of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.
The cloak bore the symbol of the Alchemy Revolutionary Army, confirming Mickey's initial suspicion. His heart pounds louder, his mind racing, unsure of what to do next.
"Why would someone from the Alchemist Revolutionary Army be at my doorstep? What do they want?" He whispered anxiously to himself.
The sound of another knock jolted Mickey back to reality. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and realized he had no choice but to answer the door. He opened it swiftly, his hand slightly trembling. In an attempt to show respect and composure, he stood straight and saluted the paladin.
"Good… Good evening, sir! How may I assist you?" He asked nervously.
However, Mickey's eyes widened with fear as he met the paladin's piecing gaze. He had glowing blue eyes, which immediately drew Mickey further into their depths. Time seems to stand still.
Suddenly, a faint tremor runned through Mickey's body. His face turned paler, sweat trickled down his forehead, and his legs wavered beneath him. The paladin maintained his unwavering stare, silently guiding Mickey as he started losing control.
Mickey's knees buckled, and his body crumpled onto the cold floor with a thud. The paladin's hypnotic hold released, and he rushed forward to catch Mickey's body before he hit the ground. Tenderly, he lowered him, cradling his head in his armored hand. "This needed to be done."
"I know your kind, Illusis." Zany growled, not at the paladin, but at what was within him.
"So do I, Sephiroth!" A shrill voice from within the paladin replied.
***