Waking up in Dad’s arms as he carried me downstairs, I rubbed my eyes and looked up. “How long was I asleep?”

“About an hour.” He replied softly.

He put me down when we reached the dining room. Everything was already set on the table, and both Mom and Allen were waiting for us at their seats. Mom looked at me and smiled, pretending nothing happened. Her bloodshot eyes revealed the truth.

I slowly walked over to her as dad took his seat next to Allen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like that.”

Hearing this, she pulled me to her and hugged me. “No, sweetie, it’s my fault. I got carried away and treated you like a kid when you’re not. I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head in response. “That’s not it. I mean, look at me. Whether I like it or not, I am a child. At least my body is. I know very well that I won’t be able to do everything I used to because of it, but I still have my eighteen years of experience. You said it yourself; That no matter how different I may look, I’m still me. All I ask is to be taken seriously.”

Her face relaxed. The smile she showed this time was genuine. “Okay, sweetie. I understand, and I prom- Allen!” She snapped at him.

I looked over to my brother, who had already started eating without us.

“What? You’re taking too long and it’s getting cold. Dad’s eating too, see?”

As he said that, I heard a faint knock on the table. I turned to see my father, who was sitting still with a serious expression. His fork, however, was already dirty. When we noticed and stared at him, he could no longer keep a straight face. He broke into a huge grin and then laughed loudly. We all did.

__________

Having finished our meal, I helped Mom by cleaning up and washing the dishes. This time without accidents. Once we were done, I excused myself and went to my room. I looked out the window to see the day was still beautiful and sunny.

Too bad I can’t go out.

The kid in me was trying to take the reins again. I wanted to run outside and play to my heart’s content. I couldn’t believe I missed the playground back in the forest.

I only got to use it once.

I booted up my computer and decided to play a few games to kill time. Danath Online was my first choice until I remembered I didn’t have my equipment and, from what Mary told me before she left, she wouldn’t be on for at least a few hours. The other games I played were fun, but I eventually grew tired of them.

When did everything become so dull?

It was funny. We didn’t have anything impressive yet, but I believed that my introduction to real magic actually took away some of the games’ charm. They were no longer an escape from reality. In fact, reality itself had somehow become more interesting.

I then realized that I could simply meditate for a while. It was important that I didn’t lose the little progress I’d already made in controlling the flow of mana within me. After setting up some relaxing background music, I sat down on the floor and began.

Hours passed, and I discovered I could now stay in control of my mana flow for several minutes without breaks. Now that my transformation was over, and I was no longer distracted, my control had increased notoriously. Not only that. While I still needed to concentrate, it no longer required my full attention. My focus finally broke when my phone started ringing, taking me by surprise. Annoyed at the interruption, I stood and walked over to my desk to check on it.

Turning the screen on, I saw Anna had sent me a message asking if I could have a quick video chat with her. I had plenty of time left before dinner, so I went back to my computer and replied to the text with my confirmation.

She initiated the call as soon as I logged in. Being mindful of my horns, I adjusted my headset. My slightly longer ears felt weird with the equipment, but it was something I could ignore. I wondered how Anna would solve that problem until I accepted the request and saw she had a small pair of earbuds on. A microphone stood on her desk, next to her face.

“Hello, Nora. How are things going with your family?”

“It’s going well, for the most part.”

“Is something wrong?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

I sighed. “My mom kept treating me like a kid. I know I told you I would be fine with it, but she took it too far. We even had a small fight because she was afraid I would hurt myself in the kitchen. To make it worse, when I finally convinced her to let me help, I cut myself with a peeler.”

“Sounds rough. Are you still angry at her?”

“No, we already talked about it. It’s all good now.”

Anna narrowed her eyes. “Is that all there is to it?”

“Y-yeah.” I wasn’t sure about bringing up what happened to me at that time. Every time I remembered it, I felt uncomfortable.

She hummed in response. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, Nora.” She said with a smile. “Alright, sorry to rush this, but I don’t have much time right now. Let’s get to what I wanted to talk about.”

I sat straight and nodded.

“There are three topics I’d like to discuss with you. The first, and probably most important to you, is that a new type of magic has finally been discovered.”

“Really!? That’s great! What is it!?” My voice came out louder than expected.

She chuckled. “Calm down. Not that I don’t understand your excitement. Anyway, the new magic type is something you may know from your games. You ready?”

“Come on! Didn’t you say you’re in a hurry? Just say it!”

She laughed openly now. “There’s enough for some suspense.” She calmed herself and cleared her throat before continuing. “It’s enchanting! A draell discovered we can enchant gemstones!”

That was the kind of news I wanted to hear. “That’s amazing! How does it work?”

“From what the report says, the caster infuses a spell of their knowledge into a gemstone so that others can use it. The only requirement is that whoever uses it needs to produce and manipulate mana since the gemstone still needs a source to operate.

“We are currently learning about it so we can try to enchant the illusion spell Jack is working on. If all goes well, you’ll be able to attend college by using an enchanted gemstone. That’s if you can’t learn it yourself, of course. How does that sound?”

“That’s great! I can’t wait to see that! What about the other two things then? Are they as good as this?”

She shook her head in response. “I’m afraid not. The second topic is about vampires’ behaviour. Turns out they do need to drink blood with some frequency. Any kind will do, fortunately. The problem seems to be the same as with your wings. They didn’t realize they needed it because they were still human in their minds. Their subconscious, however, forced them to seek blood in their sleep. Something like an autopilot. That’s what happened to the girl we saw. Apparently, she escaped Kelpont’s facility at night, and somehow made it to a home on the outskirts of the city.

“I don’t mean to worry you, but I thought it would be a good idea to mention it. I know how you feel about the way you acted the other day. I’m sure you won’t harm anyone close to you if it happens again, but try to stay out of conflict just in case, okay?”

That was something I didn’t want to hear. Everyone seemed to think I wouldn’t hurt anyone I cared for, but after what happened with Mom earlier, I wasn’t so sure. It terrified me to think about what I was capable of doing in that state.

“I… About that...”

Anna raised an eyebrow. She seemed more intrigued than surprised. “What happened?”

“When I got into an argument with my mom, I...”

“You growled at her,” she said, completing my sentence.

I gulped and nodded.

She sighed. “I already suspected as much. I’m afraid there’s not much you can do about it. Growling seems to be a common response to anger among your kind.”

I was stunned by her words. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Anna shook her head. “It’s the truth. Don’t worry, though. It rarely goes beyond that. As far as I know, there has only been one case of aggression, and it was well justified if you ask me.”

I knew very well she was referring to me. It caused me to smile briefly. “Yeah, I guess it was. Thanks, Anna.”

“Don’t mention it. I know you will be fine.”

I hope so.

“Anyway, the last thing I wanted to talk about involves you directly since it’s about a specific member of your race.”

Intrigued, I gestured for her to continue.

“Well, there has been another special case regarding the mutation process. This soon-to-be demon managed to remain awake during her transformation. Just like you.”

I perked up at the unexpected topic. “You mean she was bitten after being infected?”

She shook her head. “Not this time, no. The carrier was the only source. The thing that makes her case special, according to the information we got, is that she is pregnant.”

A chill ran down my spine. “You don’t mean...”

She choked and coughed, shaking her hands frantically. “No! Gods, no! Seriously, what are you thinking!?”

I was relieved. I was jumping to some rather weird conclusions right there. “This virus is weird, though…”

“Okay, I’ll give you that.” She giggled. “No, I’m telling you this because it was suggested that she transferred to our centre so you can keep her company. You know, since you went through a similar situation and all.”

“What? Why me?”

“The government took many things into consideration before selecting you to keep her company. First and foremost, you’re a demon, and not only are you a member of her race but also one that went through a very similar process to what she’ll go through, so you’ll understand her better than anyone.

“That takes us to reason number two. You witnessed your transformation with your own eyes, which means that you had enough time to come to terms with it. You weren’t the first fully formed demon, but you were the first one to wake up. You may have your own issues and concerns with it, but trust me when I tell you that your reaction to all of this is one of the best so far. We need to show her that being a demon isn’t as bad as she thinks it is, and you are a good example of that.”

They could start by not calling us demons...

“The third and final reason involves your appearance. I know you don’t like being treated like a kid, but we think your young appearance may become convenient and appeal to her. She’s about to become a mother, and having a child of the same race around might reduce some of her worries. Who knows, maybe you become a playing partner for her baby. The age gap is somewhat big, but I’ve seen enough from you to think it can work.” She smirked, noticing my brief frown. “That’s only if you want to, of course. You’re not forced to do anything.”

“Does that mean I’d have to stay another full month?”

“Oh, don’t worry. Your family will be allowed to visit you this time. That said, we think it’ll take longer for her to finish because of her being awake the whole process.”

“Wasn’t it the same for me?”

“Nope. You slept for most of it, remember? Let’s not forget the boost you received from my magic.”

I looked away and nodded slowly. “Right.”

“Anyway, we don’t know the details yet, but it’s clear to us that her pregnancy is the reason for the anomaly, and we’ll make sure she doesn’t overwork herself like a certain someone for the safety of her baby.”

“When will she be transferred?”

“She’ll arrive tomorrow, actually.”

“Oh!”

“Don’t worry, you can still come whenever you’re ready. Feel free to spend the week we gave you with your family. Just make sure to send me a message before you do return. Well, that’s if you accept, of course.”

“Wasn’t that a bit rushed?”

Her sight lowered. “Well, her husband left her. I wasn’t told the details, but I guess he couldn’t handle the situation and ran away. She doesn’t have anyone else from what I heard, so there wasn’t much holding her back. Sylvia’s pregnancy is very important for our investigation, and we fear that her current emotional state combined with the mutation could bring complications for her and her baby. That’s where you come in, Nora.”

I let out a heavy sigh as I thought about it. The idea of another family being destroyed by the virus saddened me. It made me realize how lucky I was with mine. I wanted to be there for her.

“It’s fine, I guess. I’d like to help out if I can. Are you sure I’m the right person to handle it, though? I don’t know much about psychology. What if I do or say something wrong?”

“Don’t worry, just try to stay positive. We’re currently looking for a counselor that can help us with any patient who needs help, and you have all of us to help you out if you need it. You won't be alone in this.”

I nodded. “Okay, then I think I’ll go tomorrow too.”

“A-are you sure? I mean, I don’t mind, but…” She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Is everything really okay over there?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Don’t get me wrong; I like being back with my family. The thing is, well, it’s rather boring around here, to be honest. I can’t go out and my games aren’t as fun as they were before my change. I kinda miss the freedom I had back there.”

“Okay then, if that’s what you think, it’s all good. Just make sure your parents agree with you. You may be eighteen, but you’re biologically a minor. That’s all for now, Nora. I have to go now, but thank you for listening to all that. Have a good-”

“H-hold on. There’s… there’s one more thing.”

She sighed and nodded. “Okay, shoot.”

I started fiddling with my fingers as I continued. “So there’s this friend of mine. A very close friend. She’s like a sister to me, you know, part of my family. In a sense, I guess.”

“You didn’t.”

“Do what?”

“Let someone else know about your transformation?”

I was unable to look back at her as I replied. “She may or may not have seen me already.”

Anna faced down and rubbed her temples. “And she’s gonna keep the secret safe, is she not?”

“Probably…” Sensing her piercing gaze, I corrected, “I mean, yes. Yes, she is.”

“If anything happens, you’ll be responsible for it. You know that, right?”

I nodded silently. I wasn’t sure I wanted to learn what would actually happen if something went wrong because of me.

“All right. I guess it’s fine then. It’s not like we can revert it, anyway. Just promise me she’ll be the last one for now. I know I mentioned letting people know little by little, but because of the vampire incident, it’s not the best moment for that.”

“I promise!”

She sighed again. “Anything else I should be aware of?”

I shook my head. “No. Nothing.”

“Then have a good night, Nora.”

“You too.”

Well, that took a scary turn.

After that, I shut down my computer and went downstairs. It was almost time to prepare dinner. Mom and Dad were about to start cooking when I called out to them.

I began explaining as we sat at the table. “Anna called me just now. I have both good news and, well, I wouldn’t call it bad news, but you may not like it, Mommy. Which do you prefer first?”

Dad chuckled and spoke first. “Let’s go with the good news first, honey.”

“Well, they found a way for me to go to college. I’ll probably hear more about it as it progresses since it’s still quite new, but Anna told me they have discovered how to enchant gemstones. This means that, as long as I have one of those, I’ll be able to use an illusion spell to disguise myself.”

Both of them smiled from ear to ear. I omitted the fact that we still didn’t have an actual illusion spell, but I trusted they would solve it in time.

“That’s wonderful, honey! I’m glad things are starting to get better,” Dad said, almost standing up.

Mom went silent again, though. She tried to hide it, but I knew she was still nervous from what I said at first. “What’s the other thing you wanted to tell us?”

I bit my lip while thinking about the best way to say it and decided to go for the direct approach. “Anna asked me to return to the centre and stay for another full month or so to help with a demon who will transfer there.”

She groaned. “Can’t they deal with it themselves?”

I knew this was coming. “Anna told me you’re allowed to visit me, tough. You just have to let them know beforehand. I want to do this, Mommy. She needs my help!”

Dad crossed his arms and smiled at Mom. “I think it’s fine. I know you’d rather have her here, where you can keep her safe, but I believe we should let her make her own decisions. She is eighteen, after all.”

Mom pondered on it. She didn’t look convinced by his words.

“It’s not that different from the original plan, anyway. We would also spend less on fuel since it would only be one round trip each weekend,” Dad added. Although, knowing Mom, she didn’t mind the expenses if she could have it her way.

Her eyes keep going back and forth between my nodding father and me. She exhaled loudly. “I understand, but we will visit every weekend, okay?”

I jumped excitedly. “Yes! Thank you very much! Um, is it okay for me to go tomorrow?”

“What!? Why so soon!? What about this week?”

“Yeah, I know it’s a bit rushed. Anna said there was no problem if I went later, but I’d like to be there for her from the start.” There was no way I’d say I was also bored, already.

Seeing my determination, Mom sighed. “Fine. We’ll take you tomorrow. I guess that’s the downside of having such a kind daughter. Go on then, help Dad prepare dinner while I pack your things.”

She had to spoil the moment somehow.

“I can’t convince you to let me do it myself, right?”

“Not if you want to go tomorrow~” She smiled mischievously at me before heading upstairs. I rolled my eyes and laughed as I walked into the kitchen. Fortunately for me, Dad treated me almost the same as always. He wouldn’t let me near the stove, but I couldn’t complain there. I didn’t reach well without a stool and having to use one whilst moving around was an accident waiting to happen.

Today’s dinner was something simple. Pasta with mushrooms and steak with steamed greens. I loved making fresh pasta, so it was my main task. The rest was pretty much washing the tools and dishes we weren’t using anymore.

We were close to finishing when I heard Allen whistling a tune from the other side of the main entrance. I wondered what he had been doing out so late, but I thought about giving him a little scare, so I ran to open the door before him and shouted.

He was surprised all right, but it was not laughter that left my mouth. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw one of my favourite things in the world fly in slow motion through the air. At that terrible sight, my body reacted instinctively, and I threw myself to catch it. Somehow, I got a hold of it and fell back to the ground with my trophy intact. My mint and chocolate ice cream was safe.

My relief disappeared the moment we went inside, and Dad scolded me for exposing myself like that. He was laid back and funny most of the time; however, much like Dr. Blake, he was the kind of person you didn’t want to make angry. I could only keep my head down. I had completely forgotten about my appearance. I apologized to him, and I promised to never do something like that again.

Dinner went by silently. Even Allen was unusually quiet. Mom sent me a worried look. I was not in the mood to say anything after my blunder.

Dad was the one who broke the silence. “Nora, there’s no need to feel so bad about it. It was a simple mistake. Cheer up!”

I smiled faintly and nodded. My mood immediately improved when Mom stood up and came back with a small bowl full of ice cream for me. It’s fresh and calming flavour brought me back to normal in no time. Once dinner was over, I wished them a good night and went to my room. After watching a few funny videos and safely removing the dress, I grabbed a fresh set of pyjamas to wear and went to sleep.

__________

Dawn came, and I woke up to see Mom holding the set of clothes she chose for me today. “Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Mommy. Good morning.”

Instead of placing the clothes on my bed, she walked to the door with them. “Come with me. We need to fix that messy hair of yours before you go back with your friends.”

Because of its quick growth during my transformation, my hair was messy and far longer than what I was used to. It really needed a good trimming. I followed my mother to the bathroom to get it done.

Once I had my usual hairstyle back. I took a shower and changed into the white blouse and short, layered, navy blue skirt Mom picked for me. At least they were easier to wear than the dress from yesterday.

After having breakfast, I went back to my room and grabbed my charger, flute, tablet, and a few other things I knew Mom would forget to add, and stuffed them into a small backpack. Finally, I sent Anna a message to let her know I’d be arriving in a few hours.

When I was about to put on my shoes, I realized that the things on my ankles made it hard to wear anything that covered that area. Giving up on those, I went for a pair of sandals and hoped Mom packed other footwear I could use without opening a hole in them.

Once I was ready, I ran downstairs and saw Dad’s silhouette through the curtains. He was placing my excessively large suitcase inside the car’s trunk. Everything seemed ready for us to go when I heard Dad speaking to someone. I recognized the voice immediately. It was Mary.

I forgot she would visit again today!

Soon, both of them came into the house. I walked over to Mary with the intention of explaining, but she stopped me. “Don’t worry, Nora. Adam already told me everything.”

I sighed in relief.

Thanks, Dad. You made things easier.

“I’m sorry, Mary. I promise to make it up to you when I come back.”

She smirked. “What do you mean? I’m coming with you.”

“Huh?” I turned to look at Dad, who simply shook his head and shrugged.

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

She kneeled down so she was at eye level with me and continued, “I need to see the place where my bestie will stay with my own eyes. More importantly, I want to meet a real elf!”

Of course.

I could almost see the drool coming out of her mouth. Mary was a bigger fantasy fan than I was. She was the one who got me into the genre in the first place. I knew there was no way to stop her now that she had her mind set on it. It was actually strange that she didn’t react like that yesterday, but I guessed she was too busy trying to fully grasp the situation.

My biggest concern was the promise I made to Anna. I knew there was a big difference between letting Mary see me and taking her there.

Is there really?

I did say she was like family, and Mary already knows about everything, anyway.

I sent her a text message explaining the situation, just to be sure. Her text reply came in almost immediately.

Anna: [Fine…]

That’s good enough, I guess.

Before I went out, Mary and Dad scanned the area to make sure no one would see me. Once they gave us the green light, Allen wrapped me in a blanket and carried me like a sack of potatoes all the way to the car. I remained hidden like that until we reached the forest.

When we finally arrived, everyone was already waiting for me at the entrance. We stepped out of the car, and even though I warned her about it, the first thing Mary did was sprinting to them with gleaming eyes whilst screeching like a fangirl.

I could feel Anna’s glare as I walked over to them at a more sedate pace. Dr. Blake, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care, and went to greet my family instead. That, at least, told me it was fine for her to be here.

I stopped in front of them and fidgeted as I spoke, “Hi guys, I know it’s a bit sudden, but this is my best friend, Mary Vogel.”

Allison crouched and greeted her first. “Nice to meet you, Mary. I’m Allison.”

Mary shook her hand enthusiastically with both of hers. She turned to me without letting go of her. “This is amazing!”

I looked down in embarrassment. Anna stepped forward with her arms crossed. “I’m not sure of what to say. When I said letting some friends and family know eventually, I didn’t expect you to do it within your first two days out.”

“She’s the only one who knows, I swear.”

She patted my head. “Don’t worry. We’ve already taken some precautions. No harm done.”

“You’re the ghost!?” Mary shouted, interrupting our conversation. “Woah!”

We turned to look at my friend, and our eyes widened when we saw her thrusting her entire arm into Jack’s torso, who was equally surprised and probably frozen from the shock. I didn’t know what was more impressive, her complete lack of respect for personal space or the fact that she managed to change his expression.

“Yet...” Anna muttered. She looked back at me and asked, “Is your friend okay?”

“She may have a couple of loose screws, but she’s harmless. I think.”

Anna shot me a worried look before shaking her head. She walked towards Mary and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her attention. “I trust that you’ll keep whatever you see here a secret.”

Mary pulled her hand back from Jack’s chest and looked at it, searching for any changes. She raised her head to look at Anna and smiled. “Sure thing! Can I touch your ears now?”

Anna took a step back, covering them in response. This only made Mary laugh before she targeted Lily.

Since it was too early for the new patient to arrive, Anna surprisingly suggested giving my friend a tour of the public areas of the building whilst we took my belongings to my room. Perhaps she wanted to show why it was so important to keep the secret. She grabbed Mary by the shoulder and led her inside. Lily followed them.

Dad and I went back to the car with my suitcase and backpack and returned to find Allen was standing by himself. When I asked my brother about everyone else’s disappearance, all he could tell me was that Mom wanted to speak with Dr. Blake and followed him to his office along with Jack and Allison. Knowing her, she probably wanted to make sure I’d be fine during my stay. I remembered she kept looking at Allison last time she was here, so she was most likely afraid of our size difference. I was sure that Mom would approve of her once she got to know her better. They seemed to think alike.

We entered my room to unpack, and as we did, I noticed some things had changed. For starters, all the medical and measuring equipment was gone. The same thing happened with Lily’s belongings, so she was probably relocated. The drawers were emptied, too. Finally, they added a desk and a small mirrored wardrobe.

The mirror had a small sticker of a pair of yellow eyes and a message that said: [Evil Nora watches while you sleep.]

Yeah, that isn’t creepy at all. Thanks, Anna.

Once my clothes were in place, we grabbed some posters and photos I brought with me and used them to decorate the walls. I was originally going to wait until Anna gave me permission, but after seeing what they had done to the place, I didn’t think it was necessary. It still needed a lot of work before I could properly call it my room, but it was a good start.

As we walked to the staircase, I noticed the empty room that once belonged to Dave had a new nameplate on the door. Its new owner was ‘Sylvia Warren’. It made sense for her room to be next to mine.

We went downstairs and saw everyone except Dr. Blake and Jack waiting for us near the back door, ready to go outside. We exited the building for the forest tour and the first thing to catch Mary’s attention was the picture of the flight training platform in a small map placed at the beginning of the path.

After hearing Anna’s explanation, Mary turned to me excitedly. “Can you try it? I want to see you fly, Nora!”

Mom became worried because of it and looked at Anna. “It sounds dangerous, don’t you think?”

Anna nodded at my mother’s comment. “It is. We made this to help her practise, but it is too risky to try it out without any experience. If she loses control mid-air and lands away from the net we’ll install, the fall could kill her. She needs to learn how to remain stable while flying, first.”

Mary was both confused and disappointed. “Why did you build this thing if she’s not going to use it then?”

“She will, eventually. In any case, that’s my father’s fault. He’s a lost cause when it comes to planning. He even had the playground built before our training grounds when we don’t have any-”

She interrupted herself as she looked at me. “Ah, never mind.”

Yeah, I know where you’re heading.

“I just remembered this little girl loves it already.”

With that, I was the centre of attention. Mary snickered, trying to hide her smile with one hand whilst Allen openly laughed. I glared at them.

“Well, what did you expect? I am a kid again... and it looked fun...” I lowered my sight, not daring to look at the playground.

The time we spent walking beside that area was extremely uncomfortable for me. Mary and Allen kept teasing me about it, and I could see Mom hiding her phone from me. She was ready to attack the moment I lowered my guard. Worst of all was that I did want to play now that I wasn’t in pain.

The only reason I could keep my cool was that I had plenty of opportunities to make full use of it during my stay. All I needed to do was to wait until I was alone. For now, we kept walking further into the forest.