"What's taking you so long, idiot?" Thalia turned to Kaito, impatient, noticing that he had stopped at the gate. Before he could respond, an elderly figure appeared on the porch of the house, watching them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"He couldn't!" exclaimed the elderly woman on the porch.
She frowned as she noticed something different about Thalia.
"Thalia, what have you done?" Selene's voice carried a mix of concern and reprimand. "You've become a Devil?"
"Yes," Thalia replied without hesitation, but there was a slight tension in her voice.
Selene frowned, visibly disappointed. Her gaze quickly shifted from Thalia to Kaito, and the hostility in her eyes intensified.
"Come in, leave your friend out here," Selene said, her voice firm and leaving no room for argument. She stared at Kaito with a harsh expression, making it clear he was not welcome.
'She didn't like me at all,' Kaito thought as he watched Selene enter the house with Thalia, leaving him outside.
Thalia cast an apologetic glance at Kaito before following Selene inside the house.
Kaito remained standing at the gate, watching as the two disappeared into the house.
...
Selene sat down in a comfortable armchair.
Thalia followed Selene inside and, seeing the severe expression on the woman's face, approached cautiously.
"Come, sit here," Selene said, pointing to a seat beside her.
Thalia obeyed and settled in.
"Thalia, do you know what it means to have become a Devil?" Selene said, her voice grave as she fixed a penetrating gaze on Thalia.
"I know what I'm doing," Thalia responded.
She maintained her gaze on Selene, as if trying to show she was in control of the situation.
Selene sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment as her body relaxed slightly in the armchair.
"Hmm," the sigh escaped her lips, laden with frustration.
"You don't know anything, little girl," Selene said, her voice now softer but filled with deep sadness.
Selene leaned back in the chair, her eyes closed as old and painful memories surfaced in her mind.
"Many years ago, when I was still a young witch, I worked for Devils. I thought I was doing the right thing, that I was helping people. But I learned, the hard way, that Devils are only interested in one thing: power."
Thalia kept her gaze on Selene, curious but also slightly wary.
"I was used by them," Selene continued, her voice filled with bitterness. "They promised me riches, knowledge, power... and I, foolishly, believed them. I helped them do terrible things, things that haunt me to this day. One of the worst was when they convinced me to help with a baby-selling scheme."
Thalia's eyes widened, incredulous at what she was hearing. "Baby-selling? That's... that's horrible!" she said, her voice full of disgust.
"Yes, horrible," Selene replied, opening her eyes and looking directly at Thalia. "I thought I was helping, but in the end, I was just feeding the Devils' thirst for power. When I realized what I was doing, it was too late. The lives I ruined, the souls I sold... I can never erase that."
"Do you think telling me this horrible story is going to make me change my mind? Was that supposed to touch me?" Thalia responded, her voice tinged with disdain.
"No, I'm not a moral example," Selene said, her voice softer, but still filled with sadness. "I've met good people in my life, but I've never met a Devil who could be called good."
Thalia was silent for a moment, absorbing Selene's words. Then, she abruptly stood up from the chair, her face showing a mix of anger and determination. "You can have your opinions, Selene, but I've made my decision. I won't regret it."
Selene remained seated, watching Thalia with a tired look. "I hope you're right, Thalia. I hope, unlike me, you don't end up regretting it."
...
Outside, Kaito was waiting patiently when he saw Thalia coming out of the house. She was visibly nervous, her steps quick and determined as she approached him. Without saying a word, she grabbed Kaito's arm and started dragging him away from the house, completely ignoring the questioning look he gave her.
Kaito remained silent, matching Thalia's hurried pace, realizing she needed a moment to process everything that had just happened. He felt the tension in the way she held his arm, but he knew that at that moment, the best thing he could do was simply be there, by her side.
Thalia continued to pull Kaito away from Selene's house, her steps firm and determined as she tried to distance herself from the painful words still echoing in her mind.
As they walked briskly down the street, Kaito noticed they were approaching another house, similar to Selene's, but with a more modern appearance.
"Thalia, what's going on?" Kaito asked, still confused by the way she was pulling him.
"Not now," Thalia replied, her tone firm and impatient.
As they neared the house, Kaito noticed an older woman peeking out the window of the house next door. Her eyes were fixed on Thalia and Kaito, and she looked almost offended to see them together. The woman, clearly a nosy neighbor, watched their every move with a look of disapproval.
"I knew that girl was no good," the woman muttered to herself, watching as Thalia dragged Kaito into her house. She quickly grabbed her phone and began typing furiously, posting on social media what she had just witnessed. "Just saw Thalia Parker dragging a man into her house. That slut finally showed her true colors!"
Kaito barely noticed the neighbor, focused on Thalia and what was happening. He was about to ask something else when Thalia opened the front door of her house with a firm pull, dragging him inside before slamming the door shut.
As soon as they entered, Thalia let go of Kaito's arm and pushed him toward the living room sofa.
"What do you think about baby-selling?" Thalia asked abruptly.
Kaito looked at her, surprised and confused. "What kind of question is that?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"I just need you to answer me," Thalia insisted, the anger evident in her voice.
Kaito looked at Thalia, trying to decipher the reason behind the question. He realized there was something deeper, something that was troubling her.
"I think it's one of the most disgusting and despicable things someone can do," Kaito said, his voice firm and filled with disgust for the act itself. "Exploiting a baby's innocence for profit is abominable. Anyone who does that has no heart."
Thalia closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as she tried to process Kaito's answer. She seemed to be trying to calm herself, but the impact of the conversation with Selene still weighed on her.
"Selene told me she helped Devils do that," Thalia said, her voice finally revealing the true reason behind her question. "And I... I don't know what to think about it now. She's trying to make me doubt everything."
Kaito felt the seriousness of the situation and the pain in Thalia's words. He slowly got up from the sofa, approaching her carefully.
"Thalia," Kaito began, taking a step forward and wrapping her in a firm embrace, feeling the tension in her body.
"Gods have massacred entire civilizations, Devils have committed atrocities for pure pleasure, and humans... well, they've done all of that and more. It doesn't matter the race; all are capable of horrible things. But in the end, what really matters are the actions of each individual. Just because you're a Devil doesn't mean you have to be evil."
Thalia was silent for a moment, absorbing Kaito's words.
She relaxed slightly in his arms, allowing the intensity of the conversation to dissipate slightly.
Soon, a small laugh escaped her lips, "Hehe," and she pulled away from the embrace, pushing Kaito gently backward, making him fall onto the sofa.
Kaito stared at Thalia, clearly confused by the sudden change in behavior. He watched her, trying to understand what was going through her mind.
"You're so dramatic, you know?" Thalia said, in a teasing tone as she climbed the stairs. "I wonder if you can really help me kill some gods."
Kaito continued to watch her, still perplexed by how she shifted from a serious attitude to a provocative one so easily.
"I'm going to take a bath. Feel free, Senpai," Thalia said, mocking Kaito as she continued up the stairs.
Kaito let out a deep sigh.
Feeling the tension of the previous moment start to dissipate.
'She's totally different from Asia,' he thought, comparing Thalia's uninhibited and provocative attitude with Asia's sweeter and more reserved personality.
He looked around Thalia's living room. It was a cozy but simple space, decorated with dark wood furniture and a few potted plants. The soft light coming through the windows gave the room a sense of tranquility, contrasting with its owner's intense personality.
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