Hearing Kyle's question, Lein's thoughts suddenly became clear.
He remembered he wasn't supposed to know his name.
But it was already too late to regret it.
«So stupid…»
Once again, Lein faced a choice:
Should he tell Kyle the truth?
Or…
Would it be better to deceive him?
Lein hesitated:
«Come to think of it, Kyle really is special. Just like me. He said he saw me in a dream… So he's like me. He has strange dreams that turn out to be real.
To kill the demon, I need information and allies. Kyle's tribe, and Kyle himself, are perfect for that…»
"Why did you go quiet? Don't try to fool me. I heard you talking to yourself."
Lein raised his hands as if surrendering.
"Alright, alright. You got me," he said in the language of Leith.
His words, and the meaning behind them, were almost perfect.
But Kyle didn't seem to care.
Lein smiled faintly and introduced himself:
"By the way, my name's Lein. But before I answer your question, try to figure it out yourself. So… how do you think I knew your name?"
Kyle frowned, then after a few seconds shook his head.
"I have no idea."
Lein sighed.
He got up from the bed and walked toward Kyle's wardrobe.
"What are you doing?" Kyle asked warily.
Lein turned back and glanced at him.
Kyle's clothes were stained with wet blood, with traces of snow and scratches.
Lein shook his head at the sight of the boy in such a state.
«He could get sick… Though he probably has his own potions.»
Then he opened the wardrobe and took out a diary.
"Kyle, you do have a diary, don't you?" he asked, pointing at the title on it: Prince of Darkness.
Kyle looked confused, but still nodded, gritting his teeth.
"Digging through a guest's things… How rude of you, adult."
Lein gave a guilty smile.
"In the diary…"
As he was about to continue, Kyle suddenly said:
"Just don't tell me you learned my name from the diary. I didn't write it there."
Lein shook his head.
"Don't interrupt me. What an ill-mannered child…"
"I already…"
Lein shot Kyle a stern look.
Though he said nothing aloud, the words echoed in Kyle's mind:
«Do not interrupt.»
Kyle went silent.
He seemed a bit frightened.
Meanwhile, Lein ignored him and went on:
"In your diary, you did mention me, didn't you? So… I also saw you leaving your home."
Kyle thought for a moment.
"And what did you see?" he asked doubtfully.
Lein smiled.
"I saw two dreams. In one, you left your village. There was also a man named Velv, your uncle."
Kyle swallowed and asked, still not fully trusting Lein:
"And the second dream?"
Hearing that, Lein grew serious.
His smile faded, replaced by a cold look, and his voice turned darker:
"I saw a mirror creature destroying your tribe… and you. Kyle… I'm from another world, but I came to help you."
Kyle, looking at Lein, suddenly smirked.
"And why would you? Nothing's ever free. What's your real goal?"
Lein closed his eyes.
After thinking for a moment, he looked back at Kyle.
Then, with a shade of anger in his eyes, he said:
"Why would I? Yes, it's not for nothing. Nothing ever is. It's just… this demon dared to touch my family. And I… now I'm bound to kill him. I'll show him his place. I just need… your help."
Kyle wasn't smiling anymore.
Before, Lein's speech had small mistakes. Minor, but they were there.
But now…
There wasn't a single mistake.
He was speaking his thoughts.
His desires…
And his intentions.
Kyle sighed.
"A mirror entity, huh? If that's really the case… that's going to be trouble."
Lein was surprised.
But before he could ask, Kyle explained:
"The Mirror People are said to be the greatest cult, hated by all deities. I don't know why, that's just what was written."
He paused briefly, then continued with a sad look:
"I read they're to be greatly feared, especially those called Demons. This creature isn't at that level, right?" he asked hopefully.
Lein frowned.
"It… is a Demon," he answered.
Kyle exhaled.
"Nothing to be done. If we die, we die."
Lein nodded.
"Yes."
Kyle expected more, hoping Lein had some kind of plan.
But Lein stayed silent.
Finally, Kyle couldn't help but ask:
"But you do have a plan, right?"
Lein nodded.
"Yes. Eat a little before dying."
Kyle clenched his teeth.
"So there's really nothing we can do?"
"Unfortunately."
Both went quiet.
Lein thought:
«In truth, there are a few ways to kill this demon. But all of them are too unreliable for now. I can only build a trap in theory, but if it turns out the demon can escape, that would mean my defeat. I'll die. So… first I need to learn more about this demon, and only then build a trap based on the information. And for that…»
Lein looked at the panicking Kyle and asked:
"Have you given up?"
Kyle shook his head and said firmly:
"I never give up."
Lein nodded.
Smiling, he added:
"Actually, not everything's lost yet. You mentioned you learned about the Mirror People from some book. What kind of book?"
Kyle gave him a strange look.
"What is it? Don't tell me you lost it?" Lein asked nervously.
"No, no, it's just… Did you really learn the first level of the Leith language that fast?"
Hearing that, Lein let out a relieved breath.
«Why scare me like that?»
"It was hard, but definitely easier than math or Chinese."
"Wow… I thought it would take you days. How did you manage it?"
Lein pointed at himself and said proudly:
"What else would you expect from me? I'm a genius. Even hiding it is hard."
Kyle gave him a strange look.
«He probably just got lucky.»
"Alright, dear genius, the book is downstairs. In my… laboratory," Kyle said.
Lein, meanwhile, grew tense…
Something felt wrong.
"Are there any mirrors in your laboratory?" he asked.
Kyle shook his head.
"I didn't need them. I just threw them out. They take up too much space. Why?"
Lein pressed a finger to his lips.
"Shh. Close your eyes and don't open them. I can feel it…"
And Lein really did feel it.
The Mirror Demon…
Was nearby.
«Or it's just searching for us.»
Lein didn't know why he was able to sense it.
But he trusted himself.
His instincts.
He closed his eyes and waited.
Kyle couldn't hold back and whispered:
"How will we know it's gone?"
Lein answered quietly, almost in a whisper:
"I'll tell you."
After that, Kyle went silent.
And Lein…
Lein began to feel a heavy sense of danger.
As if…
Someone—or something—was moving in an unseen space, searching for a way out, into reality.
For a long time…
A very long time, it prowled around the room.
Lein, drenched in sweat, finally opened his eyes when the feeling faded.
Opening his eyes…
Lein quietly stepped back.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine, and goosebumps crawled over his skin.
The reason Lein reacted that way was because…
He saw Kyle, staring at him.