...As a Demon

The sun shone through the blinds, a dull atmosphere was created matching the grey walls and floor. A grand room, filled with closets, drawers and a luxurious unnaturally big mirror at offset from the center of the door. Her eyes darted around as she caught her breath, her shoulders cold, now outside the warmth of her covers.

—--

Shuna Tsukasa, a 16 year old 2nd year in high school, had just been on her way back from school. Having coasted through the day without so much as a whisper, she kept her eyes glued to the floor—her pace unaltered. Thoughts punctured and swelled as she thought about her brother, how her family had been affected—how she felt. Having looked up to him since they were young, she still didn’t know how to feel. The smart, strong role model that always looked at her with a bright smile still present, as pebbles, in her memories.

{What in the flames of Uldrid?}

Her parents had always been proud of him—the whole family was. He was always there with her, and although they argued occasionally; he always kept her close, always being open with her. However, that entire morning she questioned herself, her life, his life.

{Are these human memories?}

Her brother, Yuta Tsukasa, had been taken away from the family two years ago. Having been tried for the murder of two of his schoolmates, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The evidence had been irrefutable, and witnesses were adamant about him. Shuna had had the image of her brother, a statue of pride and love, shattered and littered within her soul. Her parents took the event even worse than her; the father drowning himself in work to avoid the topic, and her mother becoming more strict on her, watching her every move. She was pushed to dissociate from her brother, every action that he’d made being reprimanded when she did. Her grades were sub-par, extracurricular events were banned, and she was forbidden to go out for any other reason but to go to school. Her best friend, who she’d known since elementary school, had been one of the witnesses against her brother. She’d painted him as someone completely different then the brother she knew, a stranger to her. Her friend distanced herself from Shuna and began spreading rumors about her.

{What a stupid little thing hahahaha!}

Shuna became known as the sister of a murderer and was shunned from everyone at school. She faced constant harassment and bullying; although they never intended to make her drop out or have a horrible life, they always treated as someone lower, with disrespect and indifference. Shuna began to dissociate herself from society. She stayed away from her parents, holing up in her room for the rest of her days.

Shuna was being pressured by all who knew her; life becoming seemingly meaningless in her eyes.

She was meaningless.

{Now why are these memories flowing into me?!}

She decided to stay out that fateful day. She did not want to face her mother, to give her the crumpled piece of paper she had in her pocket—her midterm test scores.

The sidewalk was empty, and the convenience store was right across the street. A salary man no younger than 23 appeared from the other side of the corner she was headed towards. He wobbled and dragged his feet across the crosswalk at a snail’s pace. She could hear him gasping for air, her eyes reflecting the sorry sight of a grown man falling on his knee in the middle of the road.

Shuna kept her pace, fast approaching the crosswalk. She focused on the man, his hair growing spiky as the gel he had on wore off, his two piece suit shaking as he gasped loudly for air. Her face was indifferent, like looking at an insect when it's about to die.

{Hahaha I like this human!}

Yet, her eyes remained locked on him, gleaming with a sense of guilt. She felt the need to help, to ask him if he’s okay, to at least help him up and onto the other side. The road was small and the corner had almost no visibility, so neither of them saw it coming. They would never know how the driver slammed the brakes only to hear the sparks of the brake calipers, nor the snap of the steering column that rendered the steering wheel useless. Shuna was only a few feet away from the man when she saw the light enter her view, the honking yelling at her ears, and the light giving her a chance. 

{What buffoonery is it doing!? I don’t understand!}

She rushed to the man, smiling in delight. She’d thought about it, the day her time would come. She was tired of it all, her family, classmates, society as a whole. Shuna had led a meaningless life, in a meaningless world. Her decision to sacrifice herself would save someone, give all her struggle and pain some sort of meaning. She would save someone else, selflessly, at her expense. 

{Ha. What an idiotic thing to do.}

She pressed her hands against his broad back, putting all of her momentum into them. Her palms led the charge, and once they had knocked him over, they flew right, along with the rest of her body.

The light of the convenience store vanished, leaving only an abyss.

{Is that where I am?}

—--

“W-where am I?” her voice shook as she kept looking around. Shuna fell back on the bed and hid under the covers.

It was a dream. It was a dream. I’m sure I got home. I’m knocked out in my room right now, with the PC running and…yeah there's snacks, it’s the middle of the night, dad’s still working, mom's pr-

{Get up you mongrel}

Her body shook in fear as she slid further down the bed and into the covers. The voice had been blunt and intimidating. It sounded like she was right there in her head; hiding hoping that was the case.

What the hell? Who said that?

{The one who’s bed you're in…now get UP!}

Shuna jumped out the covers and off of the bed, bowing profusely as she faced the direction the mirror was in.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t know how I got here or why I woke up there I-”

{Shut Up.}

“I…I’m sorry” keeping her head low the voice seemed to echo in her mind.

{Someone could hear you. Ughhh this is the last thing I needed}

Shuna kept her gaze on the ground, she felt horrible, like her brain was about to explode. The moment that voice called out to her, an intense migraine pricked and poked at her brain.

{Look up dumbass}

“Ah y-yes” her gaze shifting and slender body straightening as she looked up.

“The hell?” she mumbled. The room remained unchanging from moments ago, empty and grey without so much as a bug somewhere among the floor or walls.

{Now walk to the mirror}

Where is that voice coming from?

She looked around, raising her head further, looking up at the ceiling.

There’s nothing up there…could it-

{Yes. I’m in your head}

Holy s-

{Hurry up!}

Her voice squeezing Shuna’s head, worsening her migraine as it pulsed and pulsed against the cage of her skull.

Making her way to the mirror and looking at herself intently. Nothing had changed, from the color of her hair to the color of her nails that she'd done herself. She had a black nightgown on, one she’d never owned and was seemingly too big for her; the strands nearly falling off from her shoulders. Her eyes stayed black with the faintest blue around her pupils.

The more she looked the more she felt angry—almost disgusted. The emotion bleeding into her face, contorting her right cheek and brow. Yet, Shuna had never hated herself. She was fine with the image of her body, even proud of it despite having almost never worked out. Her disgust went past that of just her body, her face, her eyes, her legs, her feet, all of it disgusted her. It was as if she hated what she was, a sense of contempt at herself for just being human.

These unnatural emotions didn’t have a reason for being, they were just there, almost as if they weren’t hers.

An abrupt knock brought her back to reality.

“Princess Milandara? May I come in?” The voice seeped into the stale room; the knock loud enough to make her jump at its sudden occurrence.

Crap crap, is it calling you?

{Damn Damn Damn! You foul human! Give me my body back!}

“What?! What are you- This is my body!” murmuring in the silent room, she crouched down attempting to deafen her voice further.

“Princess it is urgent!” The voice behind the double reinforced door kept knocking, each knock shaking the floor slightly.

{DAMMITTTT!!!}

Shuna cowered under her arms, her face dropping to her knees. She was facing the mirror, her body being reflected. She looked at herself, her eyes, their dark blue hue.

{GIVE IT BACKKKKKKK!!!}

The voice inside her mind yelled, her brain feeling like it was being crushed from within. Shuna shut her eyes and tried to calm herself despite the chaos. She took a deep breath out as a sudden metal noise sounded behind her.

“I’m coming in.”

She felt her heart beat slam against her chest. A single beat.

Opening her eyes in alarm Shuna met an unknown face. The face of a woman, her skin darker than her own and eyes with pupils surrounded by a red hue. A giant horn peering from under her bangs, standing proud above her head. Shuna stood up, unbeknownst to her; the woman in the mirror doing the same. Her field of view had grown and she felt the mirror had shrunk. The lady in the mirror looked as if she was her height. Which made her question what she was seeing. Her arms and legs moved without her knowledge and her face turned towards the door; she felt her mouth open letting out a sigh of relief.

What the hell was that in the mirror? And why am I sighing??

“You may enter," the words coming from her mouth. Her voice was deeper and commanding. She hadn’t even had a thought about responding to the voice outside; yet her voice had disobeyed her mind.

Did I say that? No, that's not me! I didn’t say that! It sounded li-

{Quiet you mongrel!}

The door opened and a red skinned, ogre looking monster walked in the washed out looking room. It was around 3 meters tall with tusks, shaped like those of a hippopotamus, protruding out of its mouth. Two black curved horns drooped from its head and it wore nothing more than a few chains resting on its shoulder, connected to metal square plates resembling the shape of a skirt.

“What do you need, Malgron?” Shuna’s mouth moved, but the voice that came out was not hers. The one speaking to the monster was Milandara, daughter of the king of Menak.

“Sorry to disturb your highness, the King ordered me to get you at once.”

“Is there a reason?” her voice cold and demanding.

Malgron’s face soured, its yellow eyes looking down at the ground. The wind rattled the windows and Milandra frowned.

“I see.”

She walked to one of her drawers and took out a metal chestplate and a greatsword.

“Let me get ready.” Her face reflecting from the sword, her eyebrows furrowed and she bit her inner cheek in anguish.

What’s going on? What are you doing?

{My father has decided today will be my coronation day.}