"Hmm?" she reacted to my request, and without waiting any longer, I gently took her arm to draw her closer. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering between surprise and embarrassment, as if weighing how to respond to such an unexpected gesture. "You at least owe me this…" I said, subtly reminding her of the help I had given her during our group work. She froze, unsettled by my audacity, but still managed to speak a few words. "Okay, okay… now let go of me," she whispered, slightly embarrassed, a flush rising on her cheeks.
"Don't get any ideas, I'm only doing this to settle a debt…" she added, attempting to justify her apparent powerlessness in the face of my determination. Her tone betrayed hesitation, as if she no longer knew how to act around me. We walked for a long while in heavy silence, each step echoing down the empty street, enveloped in an atmosphere that felt dense, almost unreal. The world seemed to have withdrawn around us, leaving only our footsteps, our breaths, and the soft whisper of the wind. That profound silence imposed a strange respect for my presence and Mia's, as if any sound could shatter the delicate balance.
When we finally reached my home, a wave of nostalgia mixed with unease swept over me. It was a modest house, yet surprisingly well-kept despite my long absence. Memories of my mother and older sister returned in jumbled flashes, reminding me of the happy days we had spent here. "This is your place?" she said, surprised, understandable for someone accustomed to the comforts of wealthy households. "You could say that," I replied, moving toward the entrance, my heart tight with the memory of a place I had thought lost forever.
Suddenly, a man of about thirty emerged from the house, smoking, a wary look on his face. "Kid, you looking for someone?" he asked, as a voice from inside interrupted him. "Who is… Sam?" "Just a kid who seems to have lost his way," he answered, staring at me insistently. "What are you doing here…" I asked calmly, but he stepped closer, suspicious. "Hmm… what did you smoke, kid? This is my place," he growled, and I remained still, sensing the latent danger in his tone.
Mia tugged at my arm to calm the situation. "Seems like because of your long absence… someone sold your house," she said with an apologetic tone, and I understood immediately without needing any more words. The man, furious, shouted, "What are you two doing…" but I could say nothing, paralyzed by a mixture of anger and resignation. I slowly turned away, leaving behind the place steeped in memories. I wanted to shout that this house belonged to my mother, but a strange, almost frightening calm prevented me from uttering a word.
We walked in silence for a while, and finally, I spoke. "Hey… can I stay at your place for just a few days?" My voice was weak, filled with a vulnerability I refused to show elsewhere. "What…" she exclaimed, surprised, and I gave her a determined look, silent yet heavy with meaning. "You're not serious… how do you expect me to host you just like that?" she responded, incredulous, unable to believe my audacity. "And we don't even know each other that well," she added, trying to push me away.
"I just got out of the hospital… and I have no money… you don't need to know me well to help a friend, right?" I said, locking eyes with her, searching for a spark of understanding. She shook her head, hesitating to give in. "But you have friends you could call… ask them… because I can't, sorry," she replied, walking ahead, leaving me to follow with a mix of frustration and gratitude. "You came to me before anyone else, even if you didn't come often… just having you here reassured me… I can only trust you and you're the only one who can help me right now," I added, lightly touching her shoulder to emphasize my words.
She took a step back, but her eyes betrayed hesitation. "Okay… I'll do it… but only for a few days," she said, trying to appear firm and detached, even though her eyes revealed genuine concern. We arrived at her apartment, modest yet tidy, where she lived alone. Nothing extraordinary, just a functional space where everything seemed in its place, reflecting her careful and independent personality. Her apartment showed no wealth but revealed attention to her own well-being, a sign of her ability to take care of herself despite limited means.
"Take off your shoes…" she said, and I obeyed, noticing every detail of the room. The apartment was small but pleasant, warm despite the absence of lavish decor. Mia watched me silently as I stood there, motionless, wearing only my hospital clothes and holding my phone. "Sit down…" she commanded, her tone returning to its cold and distant edge, and I complied without protest, aware of the natural authority she exuded. I murmured a simple "hmm" in acknowledgment, feeling strangely vulnerable.
She went to the kitchen and announced, "I'm going to make some coffee, I'll be back," and I watched her leave, intrigued by a routine that felt both ordinary and new. I remained still, observing her precise movements as she prepared the drink. The simple normalcy of her actions contrasted with the recent chaos in my life, and I found myself appreciating this moment of relative calm. Time passed slowly, each minute feeling both long and precious.
I couldn't believe it. Me, who had struggled so much to converse normally with a girl, was now in Mia's apartment, talking with her for hours. Once, we had spent over an hour in the same room without exchanging a single word, and now we had been speaking for more than two hours, our voices blending naturally. This space, this moment, felt unreal, and yet every sensation confirmed that I was experiencing something real, intense, and fragile. It was a strange contrast to my previous life, filled with solitude and rejection.
Inside me, I felt a profound change. Was it the wish I had made, that absurd desire to become a demon, that was already transforming me? I could not say for sure, but one certainty emerged: something inside me had shifted, a silent and insidious force waiting to express itself. I did not yet know what this change would entail or how far it would go, but I felt its influence in every gesture, every thought, every breath. Part of me welcomed this emerging power, while another part feared what it might become.
If my wish had truly been granted, I expected to immediately feel the power I had imagined: fear, domination, the ability to control everything. And yet, nothing like that had happened. It was not chaos, it was not terror. All I sensed was this subtle change, this intimate transformation, invisible to others but tangible to me. The world seemed the same, yet I knew I would never be quite the same again.
An hour passed in this strange atmosphere, where the mundane and the supernatural blended imperceptibly. The sun slowly declined, giving way to the night, spreading a veil of darkness over the apartment. Mia handed me a blanket and pointed to the sofa. "My room is right next door, so… if you snore… cover your mouth," she said in the same icy tone she had once used when refusing my help on a project. I nodded, murmuring a simple "I understand," offering no further explanation.
She turned away and added, "You don't have any clothes left either, right? So since tomorrow is the weekend… we'll go buy you some…" Her words passed over me, but their meaning did not escape my mind. "Mia…" "Yes…" she replied lightly, and I simply murmured, "Thank you." A faint smile crossed her face before she left, almost joking, "No need… consider it an investment." Her words resonated within me, and I understood that this investment had nothing to do with money.
She disappeared into her room, leaving me alone on a sofa too small for my limbs but sufficient to provide temporary refuge. I stayed there, eyes closed, letting my thoughts wander, aware that each moment carried a new significance. Sleeping was difficult, but eventually, I managed to close my eyes, letting the world fade around me. Without realizing it, something had changed within me, imperceptibly but permanently.
[Completion Rate 7%; development of manipulation ability (unconscious)]