“You’re the one who gets dumber after sex!” Raea said as she stamped her foot. She whirled her body around to face the dome of silver wind. The black flames around her doubled in size yet again. “I’m going to turn you into an imbecile if we manage to get away from my parents.”

Palan snorted as he plunged his hand into the ground and ripped a boulder-sized chunk of road out from beneath his feet. He used his powers to increase its weight before throwing it at the silver barrier while Raea unleashed her flames at the same place. The wind shattered like paper, and the duo dove through before it could reform itself. As soon as they arrived on the other side, the wind stopped and converged into a ball behind them.

“Run!” Raea said, but Palan was already pulling her along before the word fully formed. The ball of wind chased after them while it morphed into the shape of a hand. The fortress of earth behind them started to rumble.

“Can you catch them?” Raea’s father asked as the fortress increased in size, allowing Raea’s mother to get a better view of her fleeing daughter. In comparison to his wife, he was completely useless at capturing a fleeing enemy. Lightning was meant to eradicate, not control. Since his wife wanted to bring Raea back alive, he didn’t dare use his lightning on his daughter. He could’ve shattered the earth to make it more difficult for her to flee, but he didn’t want to destroy the whole city either.

Raea’s mother hummed lightly as the wind-hand grew in size, passing around buildings with ease and gaining on Palan and Raea. Raea’s father nodded. His wife always hummed when she was sure of herself but her humility didn’t allow her to show it. The wind began to encounter some resistance when it collided against Raea’s flames.

The black flames trembled as sweat began to ooze out of Raea’s forehead. “Can you run any faster?” Raea asked, gritting her teeth so she didn’t bite her tongue.

“No,” Palan said. He was already running at his full speed while reducing the pull of gravity on their bodies with his powers of pride.

“I don’t think I can hold out much longer,” Raea said as the winds pressed closer, smothering part of her flames. Palan’s back began to blister from the heat. The hand of wind stretched its fingers out and began to press down on them from above as well. “You really can’t go any faster?” Raea asked, her brow furrowing.

“I really can’t,” Palan said. He could see the fingertips of the hand extending past his head. Just a little longer and the hand would be able to close over them, catching them in its palm.

“Then you have to live,” Raea said as she stopped running. Palan stumbled as his body suddenly came to a stop and jerked backwards, nearly tearing his arm out of its socket. “I don’t know why, but my parents don’t want to kill me. I’ll wait for you, so you better come.” Palan’s brow furrowed as he was lifted off his feet and spun around in a circle. Before he realized what was happening, he was already in the air, flying away from Raea and the silver hand.

His body tumbled in the air, and the city shrank in his vision. He saw the silver hand close around Raea’s immobile body before he was facing the sky. When his body rotated back around, he saw the silver hand floating back to the tiny fortress. Palan knew Raea was strong, but he didn’t expect her to throw him as far as she did. He was still ascending—a large part of it was probably due to his powers. He could use his powers to descend, but he didn’t know if he’d survive from a fall this high up. Instead, he called upon Raea’s power of greed, envy, and wrath because it was the only way he could communicate with her from that far away. There was a twinge in his chest, letting him know Raea called on his pride.

Raea’s eyes were closed as she focused on Palan’s powers of pride, causing her body to glow with a black light. Her chest burned as she lay on her back on the silver palm which was transporting her to her parents. When she arrived by her parents side, the burning sensation was gone along with the black glow. Palan was too far for them to continue using each other’s powers. At least it also meant he was far enough away from her parents.

“Raea,” her mother said.

Raea sighed and opened her eyes, getting off of the silver hand. “He’s gone now. Are you happy?” she asked, biting her lower lip. Her body trembled as lines of blood trickled down her chin. Anger welled up inside of her, but she couldn’t release it—not if she wanted to live. And for Palan’s sake, she couldn’t die.

“It didn’t have to be this way,” Raea’s father said. “He was unwilling to break his contract with you. If anyone is to blame, it’s him.”

Raea lowered her head and stared at the floor. Tiny wisps of black flames slipped out from beneath her robe, but they were extinguished by the silver hand which hadn’t been dispersed.

“Forget it,” Raea’s mother said to her husband. “What’s done is done. The important thing is we have our daughter back. Even if she has the contract with her demon, her mind should gradually clear as we increase the distance between them.”

Raea’s father nodded. “Someone will take care of him sooner or later,” he said before lightly clapping his hands. The fortress began to shrink and dissolve before returning back to the ground. “A demon cannot survive alone in Div’Nya.”

For the first time since Raea saw her parents, a small smile appeared on her face. Maybe ordinary demons couldn’t survive, but she knew Palan was different. The smile disappeared as she raised her head and looked at her parents. “So what happens now?” she asked and sighed.

“Now we deliver you to Hailing Academy where the top professors can work on converting you back,” Raea’s mother said. “Everything’s going to be alright.” She smiled since her daughter was willing to communicate. “Why don’t you tell us about your experiences in the borderlands while we eat dinner?”

That night, Raea ate her food in silence.