Monday, November 7th, 807
I find myself in my room reading a book when suddenly I'm distracted by the sound of violent explosions coming from outside the window.
...
The entire area around the academy is bombed; all buildings have collapsed. Bombs explode randomly, and I can't determine their origin. Meanwhile, huge black dragons appear in the sky, breathing fire and attacking anyone beneath them. People scream and run in all directions, yet I oddly feel calm.
The central building must be sturdy, as there's not even a slight tremor. It's so calm that I sit back in the armchair and continue reading, ignoring the apocalyptic scene. But then, someone forcefully knocks on the door.
"FBI! Open up!"
FBI? As I rise from the chair, they break down the door, fully uniformed with masks and assault rifles. Other soldiers enter through the window behind me.
One approaches, spraying something in my eyes. Another grabs me, slamming me against the wall violently. I pass through several rooms, creating my figure on all the walls I go through.
...
I manage to get up immediately from the debris, surprisingly feeling no pain. I realize I have a rifle in my right hand and start shooting at the agents. Like magic, one appears behind me, grabbing my neck and squeezing.
"Do you hear me?"
What is this soldier saying?
"Do you hear me?!"
...
"Do you hear me?!"
...
I open my eyes.
Mary is staring at me from her desk.
"Did you fall asleep? I asked if you knew anything about humanoid demons. It's been at least half an hour; did anything come to mind?"
...
I was dreaming. Reflecting, the whole situation was surreal – what was the FBI doing there? Anyway, I'm glad; it's been a while since I dreamed.
"So, did you think of anything?"
I look at Mary thoughtfully. What was the question?
"What was the question?"
"What can you tell me about human-like demons?"
Today she's strangely kind; I thought she would get angry or at least irritated by my attitude.
"I don't know; I've never seen them. Can you tell me something about them so I can make hypotheses based on what you already know?"
Here's my final sentence. I thought of it last night. To avoid saying something excessive, I think it's better to base my "hypotheses" on what she already knows. She looks at me for a moment with a hint of disappointment. Why would she be disappointed? What does she expect?
"Humanoid demons have been sighted. No one has heard them speak, but they've been seen using their abilities. Unfortunately, these pieces of information are from third parties. At the moment, we don't know more because those who fought them haven't returned to tell the tale."
"So, you're saying these humanoid demons are much stronger than others?" I told her, expressing curiosity.
...
Bla bla bla bla bla, how boring.
...
She nods and then continues: "Tell me something about this. Why do they have a humanoid form? Why are they stronger and more dangerous than other demons?"
Only two questions, absurd...
"Do we know anything about their" I ask her to gather more information; otherwise, how can I hypothesize...
"According to the documents, their attack was instantaneous. Within a few seconds, they caused the death of hundreds and hundreds of people."
...Do I have to pull the words out of her with tweezers?
"The appearance of the corpses?" I ask her in a bored tone, as it seems she doesn't want to tell me everything.
She opens a drawer of her desk and takes some documents, then starts flipping through them. After about ten seconds, she hands them to me.
"This is the Hell Valley incident of 799."
I start to see different photos related to the mentioned incident, but something makes me doubtful: they are pictures of deserted houses and streets.
Just this.
...
I look at Mary with curiosity and say: "Hmm, weren't the photos supposed to be taken before removing the corpses?" I speak in a joking tone.
"The point is, the corpses were never found. The witness reported that the town was bustling with people, but suddenly everyone disappeared... Everyone except one person."
"And that person would be the demon?"
She nods.
"The witness was just outside the town when the crime happened. He began walking through the streets to figure out what had happened and claimed to have seen someone in human form. At that moment, dust lifted into the air and circled around that being, disappearing after a few seconds."
I think I understand who she's referring to. There are a couple of demons that act that way, but it doesn't seem like much of a testimony. What did she hope to convey with just this?
"That doesn't seem like a particularly reliable witness. That could have been a regular person about to disappear," I say solemnly.
"It could be... But then why didn't they disappear earlier with the others?" Mary counters, holding to her theory.
"It doesn't convince me much in any case. Can you show me other incidents? With corpses maybe..."
She hands me more sheets. As before, she gives a brief description of the case: "Here we are at Wall Seena. A small town of just over 1000 inhabitants. Named after the wall that surrounds it."
Uhh... What lovely photos...
"As you can see, there are photos of many corpses..."
Her tone is really calm; she's not fazed by these atrocities. Either she's become accustomed to it, or she's simply indifferent.
Seeing these photos doesn't evoke sadness, anger, or disgust in me. I think because, despite living in this world, a part of me can't accept that all this is real... Or maybe I'm just a socially awkward bastard who doesn't care about anyone I don't know.
Returning to these corpses, they all seem to have died from contracting some disease: some have both arms and legs completely black; others have black spots on their faces and fingertips; in others, blood has leaked from every facial orifice; others have completely yellow skin.
"Also in this case, an eyewitness reported seeing a person walking among the victims. So, have you figured out what it might be?"
I sense sarcasm in this question.
"In this case, it's much easier to understand who it is: they all seem to have died from some disease. I'm not sure, but they could be different diseases. So, it should be... the Disease demon..."
"Yes... It's believed to be that demon." She concludes, remaining impassive in her chair.
I place the sheets on the desk, and she hands me more.
In these other photos, the corpses are all aged.
Mmmh... There were controversies about this demon. Initially, it was thought that the Aging demon was responsible for these attacks because they associated his ability with the fear of aging. Only much later was the truth revealed, provided by the demon in question.
I wonder what Mary thinks. It's quite logical to think it's the Aging demon.
"Is it the Aging demon?" I ask.
She looks at me with disappointment, then reveals calmly: "It's the Time demon."
...
How does she know?
I just nod, remaining indifferent. If I were to ask for an explanation, she would realize I know something. Wait... Maybe I should ask, or she might get suspicious... Or not?
She organizes the documents and clasps her hands on the desk.
"There was another incident a few years ago, a town not far from here was swept away by the Hurricane demon. A acquaintance of mine personally reported seeing someone waving their arms and unleashing fierce winds towards the houses. Any ideas then? Considering what I've shown you."
Upon reflection, even if I knew nothing, I would still come to this conclusion: "The nature of the demon defines its features. Demons embodying immaterial fears take on a human form, while those embodying material fears take on shapes resembling that specific fear... As for why they are stronger, I believe it's because the fear directed at them is inherently stronger than other demons..."
...and reasoning is also linked to that fear.
She nods, not pressing me further.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
I look at her with a puzzled expression, thinking she might want to continue questioning me. I'll never understand this woman.
I take my leave.
...
It's 11:35.
Leya is probably still in class B with Instructor York.
I think I'll go to the gym to work out.
...
By the way, I had a really strange dream earlier...
FBI...