"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Silence hung heavy in the room, each of the trio wrapped in their own thoughts. Mare wore a self-satisfied grin, whilst Scott busied himself concocting plausible excuses, and the principal tapped his fingers impatiently, awaiting their response. After a mere five minutes, Principal Doyle sighed, straightening up in his chair.
"Listen, making your teacher go bald, setting students' possessions on fire, and so forth. I understand, I too was a young man once. These types of pranks are normal, but you kids took it a little too far."
The principal eyed them with a tinge of disappointment, misinterpreting Mare's mischievous acts as typical teenage pranks. Who, after all, in their right mind would believe in sorcery? The teachers were probably exaggerating!
"I'll let the two of you go with a warning this time,"
His words turned Scott's nervous sweat into relief, escaping unscathed from the consequences of the demon's antics.
"... However, I want a paper on my desk by Friday about the importance of respecting others' property. Do you understand?"
Scott, the sole listener, nodded hastily. Principal Adam Doyle remained one of the few people unaffected by the town's strange robotic behavior, even before Mare's arrival. Something peculiar clung to those unaffected, a mystery that eluded Scott.
"Dismissed."
With that, the principal waved them out of his office, a gesture Scott welcomed gladly, while Mare received a somewhat disgruntled look for his perpetual grin in the presence of the middle-aged, burly man.
"What's up with you?" Scott voiced his thoughts to the demon, who nonchalantly shrugged. Dismissing Scott's curiosity with a cryptic response: "You'll find out eventually."
As the school day drew to a close, with the office visit now the only lingering memory in Scott's mind—considering he had slept through the rest—it remained a wonder how he managed to progress through grades without any effort. The duo chalked it up to the peculiar school system in this obscure town.
Walking down the streets, the two boys contemplated what lay ahead. Mare abruptly halted and pointed at a famous large manor in the distance, known by everyone as the local haunted house of the town. In classic horror fashion, its past ownership was shrouded in mystery. Scott speculated that with the town's inhabitants showing a hint of life, perhaps some adventurous teenagers would explore it. A thrill in the darkness, oblivious to danger.
The thought revealed Mare's intentions to Scott—he wanted to go to the mansion! The idea excited the perpetually curious Scott, and without hesitation, he readily agreed with Mare. Finally, their first adventure into the night would commence on this day.
* * *
The night descended, casting shadows over the eerie streets of the seemingly deserted town, as the human-demon duo marched with purpose toward the looming silhouette of the old manor. There's an undeniable thrill that accompanies venturing into a reputedly haunted location, especially under the veil of darkness.
The moon, full and luminous, cast an ethereal glow upon a nearby small lake, barely illuminating the surroundings enough to prevent any accidental missteps. Although the manor wasn't particularly vast, its ancient and abandoned facade made it stand out, visible for miles around.
As they approached, the air became thick with anticipation, only to be cut short by a disappointing reality—the door remained firmly shut. Even Mare's magical prowess couldn't coerce it to yield. This unexpected obstacle fueled Scott's curiosity further, leaving him wondering about the mysteries that lay beyond the entrance, secrets so concealed that not even a demon could penetrate.
"Strange... How exciting!" Mare's lips curled into a maniacal smile, a demon with idle time in the mortal world. Unfazed by the setback at the front door, Mare's eyes glinted with mischief. A mere obstacle wouldn't deter them. In a sudden burst of energy, a loud bang echoed through the night. Scott turned to witness Mare's bold solution—he had punched through a window, creating an unorthodox entrance into the mysterious manor.
Scott sighed in response, then hopped through the broken glass behind the demon, narrowly avoiding any cuts. However, as soon as he entered the house, a sudden burning sensation overwhelmed his eyeballs, prompting him to recoil and instinctively close his eyelids. To his surprise, Mare had stuck his fingers into Scott's eyes!
"What the heck?!" Scott exclaimed, his irritation evident in his voice. Mare responded with his usual smirk, hidden from Scott's view. The burning sensation lingered for a few minutes, leading Scott to suspect that the demon had added some magical element to this unprovoked attack.
However, his assumptions were proven wrong when the burning sensation subsided, and upon reopening his eyes, Scott could see clearly. It was more than mere sight; it was as if the room, once abandoned and dark, was now illuminated by the sun itself. There was no green tint, no night vision distortion—just perfect visibility, as if it were the middle of the day or all the lights were on.
Mare had once again used his magic without warning, but this time, it worked to Scott's advantage. Though he thought he detected a hint of joy in the demon's eyes from poking him, Scott's anger had subsided. After all, Mare had essentially granted him a superpower. What more could he possibly gain from the demon?
Yet, Scott knew Mare wasn't the giving type. There would be a price to pay, whether in the present or future, and he doubted the demon couldn't somehow extract payment from the past using magic.
Setting aside those thoughts, it was time to explore the supposedly haunted manor. Excitement coursed through Scott's veins, fueled by his unnatural curiosity. Mare, on the other hand, had reverted to his usual, as Scott called it, 'default face': a small grin. It was clear the demon wasn't as thrilled as the boy.
Regardless, it was Mare's idea to come here, so Scott was confident he wouldn't abandon him. If that were a concern, Scott wouldn't have agreed to come in the first place. It wasn't fear of some abandoned house; rather, Scott worried he might fall asleep if Mare wasn't nearby. He wasn't yet sure if the immunity to the nighttime effects applied passively due to their connection or if it was only viable within a certain radius around the demon.
However, a more immediate concern captured Scott's attention—the sound of a click echoing across the room as he took his next step. A trap had been triggered.