Freya lingered outside the door for a long time. She could hear the sizzling of oil from within, her hand resting on the doorknob but never turning it.
It wasn't until she heard her neighbor's door creak open that she mustered the courage to push her own door and step inside.
"Welcome back. Dinner's ready," came Ash's usual greeting.
Freya hesitated before replying, "I'm back."
"Wanna watch College Moonlight or Death Chase tonight?" Ash asked, setting the food on the long table and fiddling with the screen on the Knowledge Veil to pick a dinner show.
College Moonlight was a lighthearted comedy about campus life. The protagonist, a goblin who was a terrible student, discovered that taking Moonlight Sugar gave him bursts of superhuman intelligence—dubbed "Moon Mode." With this newfound brilliance, he passed exams with flying colors and even made it into the Bloodmoon Nation's most prestigious university. However, the sugar's side effects made his personality unpredictable—sometimes sweet, sometimes abrasive, sometimes chaste, sometimes lecherous. To conceal his true self, he juggled the sugar's effects while navigating the chaos of college life, leading to a hilarious and satirical story.
Admittedly, it was a well-crafted show with a sharp pace and clever humor that poked fun at student culture. Even Ash found it entertaining.
That is, if you could overlook how it subtly pushed the idea of Moonlight Sugar's acceptance.
The legalization of Moonlight Sugar in Kaimon City had sparked efforts to push similar legislation in other cities. The explosive success of College Moonlight wasn't coincidental—clearly, interest groups had a hand in it. The show wasn't just a comedy; it was a well-disguised marketing campaign. Unsurprisingly, the fictional sugar's branding matched "Snow White," a real-life company Ash recognized as the primary sponsor.
Death Chase, on the other hand, was a gripping fantasy drama about a protagonist who was betrayed and killed by a friend. At the moment of death, their souls swapped, leaving the friend's soul to die in the protagonist's body while the protagonist assumed the friend's identity. To uncover the reasons behind their betrayal, the protagonist navigated a deadly web of deceit, facing repeated deaths and unraveling the plans of a mysterious antagonist.
Ash found it particularly amusing that the villain was a thinly veiled caricature of a certain "cult" that bore uncanny similarities to his own Four Pillars faith. Though the show gave the organization a different name, its behaviors, rituals, and goals were eerily familiar. Adding insult to injury, online forums even speculated that the series was based on Ash's "real-life exploits," prompting Ash to log in anonymously and vehemently deny the claim.
"Let's watch College Moonlight," Freya finally said.
"Sure thing," Ash replied, settling in to eat and laugh at the antics on screen. From time to time, he'd rub the cat, drawing a protesting meow from it before it returned to its meal.
Freya, however, had no interest in the show or the food. Behind her stunning, charming face, her mind was a storm of conflicting emotions.
Adela had been right.
Ash was dangerous. Freya had always known that. What she hadn't realized was just how insidious he was. Nothing was more evil than chaining a free spirit.
Even prison only imprisoned the body.
Her recent research for a socialization policy paper echoed in her mind: "The blood ties between parent and child are the furthest distance from true freedom. Cutting all innate bonds is the foundation of personal liberty… All forms of human dependency are betrayals of freedom."
Her years of moral education came rushing back:
"Human nature is the most unpredictable color. Today's friend could be tomorrow's heartless criminal. Trusting someone completely is handing them the power to hurt you without limits."
"Expect nothing from others. Hell is other people."
"Trust only yourself. Live for yourself. Die for yourself."
"The best equality is complete independence—when neither side benefits from the other, leaving nothing to bind them."
"Never let anyone plant seeds in your heart."
Freya stole a glance at Ash. He was laughing so hard at the show that cream from his dessert had smeared on the corner of his mouth. His table manners were closer to an ogre's than a civilized person's, yet Freya didn't feel repulsed. In fact, she felt… something else.
A bizarre urge to lean over and lick the cream off his lips.
Terrifying, she thought.
Adela was absolutely right. Freya had to act while she still had her reason. She needed to sever ties with Ash and expel him from her life.
Otherwise, she risked losing her sense of self, becoming a slave to emotion, shackled by the weight of a tenuous relationship. She would no longer be free but a hollow shell bound to society's web.
Ash wasn't just dangerous. He was the epitome of a cult leader. If the Four Pillars' followers were all like him—insidious manipulators preying on vulnerabilities—it was no wonder they were crushed.
Her stomach churned at the thought of being this invested in him, this attuned to his every move. The idea of feeling joy at his joy, pain at his pain, of giving everything for him was…
Was what?
Frightening? Or… thrilling?
Stop, Freya. You're a proud, independent succubus. You cannot fall for the underhanded tricks of a cult leader.
You have to summon the courage to push him out.
Without him, you'll thrive.
Just finish this meal and say it.
Wash the dishes and say it.
Finish your homework and—
"I'm leaving tonight," Ash announced.
Freya's head snapped up. "Where are you going?"
"To where escaped convicts belong," he replied, slipping on his jacket and mask. "Thanks for your hospitality these past few days. Though, honestly, I think I've been the one taking care of you."
"Already?" Freya asked, flustered. "It's not even the seventh day yet…"
"The contract allowed for seven days, but I've gathered the information I needed. No point staying longer." He summoned the Compassion Spirit, its glow faint in the dim room. "You're not a sorcerer yet, right? Got anything to store this?"
"I—I do." Freya scrambled to a cabinet. "I have a temporary spirit capsule…"
She rummaged for a while before Ash walked over, plucking a transparent sphere from the shelf. "This?"
"Oh. Yes, that's it." Freya scratched her head sheepishly. "I didn't see it there earlier."
Ash transferred the spirit into the capsule, severing his connection. The orb glowed softly as the spirit stretched lazily before settling into sleep.
"Here," Ash said, handing it to her. "Our contract is complete."
"Yeah."
"When I leave, don't mention me to anyone. You don't want the trouble of harboring a fugitive. If anyone asks, just say you picked me up from a wine café, didn't expect me to survive, and moved on."
"Got it."
Ash crouched to pet the cat one last time. "Take care, little guy. If it hurts, don't just suffer in silence. Cry out. Someone will hear you."
Standing, he turned to Freya with a smile. "Be well, Freya."
She didn't reply.
Freya stared down at the cat, as if it had transformed into something unrecognizable.
Ash didn't notice. He brushed past her, heading for the door.
"Will you come back?"
As he laced up his shoes, he said, "No. If all goes as planned, I'll be doing something big tonight. Coming back would only bring you trouble."
"Where will you stay?"
"Wherever I can. I might have to leave Kaimon City altogether. I'll manage."
"That sounds… miserable."
"It is. Tonight's dinner was my farewell to comfort for a while."
Ash reached for the doorknob. Before he could turn it, Freya's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist.
He looked back at her, puzzled. "You want me to stay?"
"No," Freya said, shaking her head. "I don't want you to stay here."
Her voice trembled as she added, "But I want to go with you."