Dianne – POV

  I was still trembling until we reached the tavern. My arms ached from clutching Nathan so tightly, and Serena’s small hand was clammy in mine. Nina had been waiting by the door, ready to scold me for being late as she always did, but the moment she saw my face, saw the way I held the children like a drowning woman clinging to driftwood, her expression softened.

  “What happened?” She asked, her voice low and urgent.

  The words spilled out of me before I could stop them. I told her everything...the alley, Bret’s hand clamping over my mouth, Serena’s muffled sobs, the way the men had laughed as though we were nothing more than toys for their amusement. And then, the thing that had appeared. The demon.

  The other waitresses gathered close, listening in silence. Their faces grew pale, their hands tightening on their aprons.

  Nina’s jaw clenched. “Those men again. They’ve been getting bolder. Just the other day, Jenna ran into them and barely managed to escape. But this…” She shook her head, her eyes flashing with anger. “This time they meant to force themselves on you.”

  Her words sent a cold shiver down my spine. I could still feel Bret’s grip on my wrist, the roughness of his palm against my skin. I could still hear the muffled sound of my own voice as he silenced me.

  And then...there was the demon.

  For a moment, I thought it would attack us too. Its eyes had glowed with malice, its grin sharp and cruel. But no...it had driven the men away, then vanished into the shadows. Whatever its purpose, it had saved us.

  My tears had dried by then, though Serena still clung to me, hiccupping softly. The other waitresses tried to comfort us both, their faces grim. No child should ever have to see what nearly happened.

  “We need to report this to the guards,” Nina said firmly.

  Cecil, one of the older waitresses, snorted bitterly. “And what good will that do? Bret and his lot are under the baron’s son’s protection. The guards won’t touch them.”

  “I don’t care,” Nina shot back. “We can’t just sit idle while women in this town are hunted like prey. If we do nothing, it’ll only get worse.”

  “I’ll go with you,” I said, though my voice still shook.

  Nina shook her head. “No. You stay here. Rest. You’ve been through enough. I’m just grateful nothing worse happened to you or the children.”

  Flora, another waitress, laid a hand on my shoulder. “She’s right. As awful as it is, that demon saved you. Without it…” She trailed off, unable to finish.

  “I know,” Nina admitted, her brow furrowed. “But that’s another problem, isn’t it? A demon appearing in the middle of town. That’s not something we can ignore either.”

  She was right. I had only ever heard of such creatures lurking in dungeons, never walking freely in the world. And yet, I had seen it with my own eyes; an imp, if my memory served me.

  Nina straightened her apron. “I’ll go. Just open the tavern when you’re ready.” With that, she strode out into the street, her back stiff with determination.

  I glanced down at Nathan. To my surprise, he wasn’t crying anymore. In fact, he hadn’t cried at all… except for that one moment, when Bret had grabbed me. That thought unsettled me more than anything else.

  “You’re a brave boy,” I whispered, brushing his hair back.

  He only looked up at me, calm and unblinking, as though studying me the way a scholar might study a puzzle.

  And for the first time, I wondered if my son was far more than he seemed.

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  Nathan – POV

  That was too close.

  That bald bastard had crossed the line. Attempting to force himself on my mother, on my family. Rage boiled in me, hotter than anything I’d felt since coming to this world. I’d only been here a year and a few months but never had I been this furious.

  What should I do? Should I order the imp to kill them? Could the imp even kill those bastards?

  The thought made me laugh bitterly. Here I was, a one-year-old, lying in a crib in the kitchen of a tavern, plotting murder. Surreal didn’t even begin to cover it.

  But this wasn’t my first rodeo. Back in Delta, I had eliminated plenty of people. It hadn’t bothered me then, they were scum, the kind of people the world was better off without. And here? Different world, same scum. I would eliminate them with the same extreme prejudice.

  What surprised me most was the imp’s ability to vanish into the shadows. I knew imps had that ability in the game, but seeing it here was something else. He only appeared when attacking, which meant he was still in this room right now.

  I reached out mentally. Hello? Are you there, Mr. Imp?

  “Yes, Master,” came the guttural reply.

  Where are you?

  “Beside your great vessel, Master.”

  Vessel? Oh. He meant this wicker basket I was lying in.

  No one can see you?

  “No one but you, Master. I used a lesser invisibility spell on myself.”

  That was… super cool. What’s your name?

  “Krizek, Master.”

  Nice to meet you, Krizek. I have many more questions for you, but we can talk later. For now, I have a mission for you.

  “You want me to destroy the men who assaulted your sister and mother?” Krizek asked.

  How did you know that?

  “My very essence is linked to your will, Master. Whatever you feel or know, I will also feel and know. I am bound to you and you alone until the end of time.”

  That felt ominous.

  Still, I pressed on. Yes. I want you to destroy them in the most gruesome way possible.

  “With pleasure, Master.”

  Can you do it? After all, you’re still just a level one imp.

  “Of course, Master. That will be no problem at all. A demon is more powerful than any human. Although the level of the target may be an obstacle, there are a multitude of ways to kill a person without my fireballs. But it will take me some time. I gather you want it done quietly?”

  True. He could drop a piano on those bastards if he wanted, but subtlety was better.

  Yes. No one must know you’re the culprit.

  “No problem, Master. But I will have to leave your side for some time.”

  No worries. Just come back to me when you’re done. By the way, can we communicate even if we’re far apart?

  “Yes, Master. Your will and your voice transcend time and space. Wherever I am, I will know where you are, and you will know where I am.”

  Good. Do you remember those men?

  “Yessss… Master. I can still remember their stench.”

  His voice dripped with malice, and I could feel his bloodlust radiating through our link. Perfect. I would use that.

  Eliminate them all with extreme prejudice!

  “Your will be done, Master!”

  Then there was silence.

  Well, that was anticlimactic. I had just ordered my first murder in this world, and there was no dramatic score, no thunderclap, no ominous music. Just silence. Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers.

  The whole experience was so different compared to the game. In the game, I couldn’t talk to the imp. I couldn’t give it complex orders like “assassinate” or “sweep the place” or “wash my clothes.” Here, though, everything was different.

  I smiled to myself.

  I had just found my perfect personal assistant...and assassin.

  Krizek – POV

  My master is still very young, barely a pup in this world. Yet his soul… ah, his soul is fascinating. Dark, tempered, and sharpened by blood. His knowledge is exquisite, far beyond what his fragile body suggests. He is no ordinary child. He is a trained killer, once part of a force of killers called Delta. Through the bond that ties us, I glimpse fragments of his memories and his methods.

  So many ways to kill. Ingenious. Efficient. Some brutal, some subtle. I had never imagined one could end a life with something as simple as a spoon. How… delightful. Perhaps I will try such methods myself.

  Truly, I am fortunate to serve him. Lord Kazak be praised, for granting me such a master. I will not disappoint. I will slaughter all who dare offend him, his mother, or his sister. Their enemies are my prey, their suffering my offering.

  It did not take long before I caught the stench of the one called Bret. Foul, greasy, reeking of arrogance and lust. My claws itched; my fire burned hotter at the thought of tearing him apart.

  Hehehe… yes. I will enjoy this mission. And if the soul of my master is any indication, this will not be the last. No, there will be countless missions like this in the future. Countless screams. Countless offerings.

  And I will savor every one.