TRYING TO RUN TWICE

*Beep...Beep*

"Argh."

Yuzuru turned in his bed while the phone continued to ring. His eyes shot open, and he lay staring at the ceiling while tears were dripping out. He reached for the side table, aimlessly thumping his hand on the top. Only to realise the phone was under the pillow.

He pulled out the phone. "Alexander!" he said, sitting down. Remembering the earlier encounter.

"Hello? ...huh, in the forest? Yeah, okay..." Yuzuru sat straight. "Wow, didn't even say bye."

He got up, hauling himself to the bathroom.

He came out, followed by steam from the warm bath. He stood before the mirror, drying his hair. Then, finding a suitable hairstyle.

He went through the drawer, pulling out his chains and earrings. He stood admiring himself before leaning in to kiss his reflection.

"Hehe, thanks," his reflection called out.

"Eek, why do I keep forgetting staring at a reflection for too long makes it alive?"

"So you are my daddy now~," the mirror Yuzuru added smugly.

Yuzuru pulled off his bedsheet and threw it on the mirror. "That will take out that magic from ya, for now." He shoved his phone in his pocket and rushed out while the reflection cried out.

He ran down the corridor and rushed out to the garden. It was dark, so he looked up at the sky. The two pieces of the broken moon had drifted apart. Somewhere between them, from beyond the horizon, amber rays stretched, turning purplish. Many moons and luminaries shone in the purple of the sky.

Yuzuru's eye twitched as he took out his phone. "5:05. He woke me this early? This is still night. that ##%#$^$$@$#%$"

He dragged his feet while going down the path adjacent to the garden. If that awkward meeting with him hadn't happened and Sen hadn't drunk that stupid potion, I could be asleep.

He walked past the verandah and took a turn, stopping in front of a wall made of golden bricks.

We have to meet in the forest, so I guess I should pick that mall. He slapped himself. Idiot, I should pick the hut outside the forest.

He rubbed his finger on the brick labelled 'FOREST'S HUT'. In a blink, he stood in front of a mushroom-shaped hut with a golden brick. He sighed, looking around. "Now, where will I find him?"

He stood in a clearing with only that hut and a well. Next to him stretched a cluster of pink trees with orange leaves that stretched to either side as if marking a demarcation. As far as is visible to a normal eye, there was no termination to that line of trees.

He took a step into the forest. The trees clumped close together. But as he got deeper, the trees scattered, and the more eerily shaped they were. He walked slowly, cautious of anything unexpected.

Golden leaves crunched under his feet. Trees became more purple and grey with yellow and blue leaves. A few were black. Seldomly the leaves ruffled, making him turn their way.

He noticed a black tree moving—ah, damn it, a stupid 'woorozka'. The tree bent down, converging its stems into two limbs. It pulled out the roots, fusing those to the rear limbs.

Yuzuru took a step back. I hope it doesn't see me. The woorozka sat down with a loud thud. Along its central trunk, the surface deepened into a hole. Claws emerged out of this limb.

Damn, I should run. He turned, running as fast as he could.

The hole twisted into a hollow smile. Two holes were deepened in place of the eyes. It let out a screeching laugh. Getting up, it took a few slow leaps before gaining speed.

It leaped and landed before Yuzuru. It twirled and screeched. It crept closer to him as he took a few steps back from it.

Fire will take this piece of wood down.

Golden light shone from his eyes. Fire sparked from its limbs, gushing up its length, burning the Woorozka. It screeched, bumping into a nearby tree, putting them all aflame.

More trees turned into woorozkas, leaping onto Yuzuru, who had a golden shield around himself.

Fire was a bad choice; too bad.

"Ahaha, Yuzuru, can't you handle a simple Woorozka?"

Yuzuru looked behind. Within the flames stood a dark figure, chuckling. "Alexander!?"

One of the Woorozka romped towards him. It leaped into the air, but midair it paused and fell. It crashed on the floor, shattering the ice.

"Isn't freezing power preferable if you are around flammable objects?"

The Woorokzas screeched, leaping towards him, while a few kept bumping Yuzuru's shield.

Yuzuru tsked, "Well, among the elemental powers, ice and water are my weakest."

A dark snow blizzard abruptly appeared from behind Alexander, freezing the whole area.

How did he improve his skills to such a level? Yuzuru looked at the roof of his shield, which was frozen from the outside. I can't see through; he lowered his shield. A cold breeze drifted past him.

"Y-you froze the forest?"

Alexander walked up to him. "Don't worry, it's only a small area, and the effects will wear off sooner or later."

Yuzuru looked around. "It's unfair that you improved your powers this much."

Alexander chuckled, "Well, if you let go of your humanity, you might surpass me, too."

Yuzuru glanced at him. "What do you mean?" His heart skipped a beat.

Alexander's smile elongated as his body darkened. His eyes glowed red; his body dissolved into darkness.

What the hell? Yuzuru backed away.

Even the surroundings dimmed. A pitch-black shadow hovered in front of the blond. Yuzuru noticed the batch in it. "A-alexander-"

A voice echoed, "I am a demon now."

Yuzuru's face dropped as the sense of danger aroused in him; he turned to run away. But the darkness surrounded him. "What are you doing?" Yuzuru shouted.

The darkness composed itself into Alexander. He held Yuzuru tightly in an embrace from behind.

"Let me goooooo!!" He tried freeing himself, but in vain.

"No need to be a crybaby." Alexander let him go. Yuzuru crawled away from him, shivering. The usual voice calmed him down.

Yuzuru glanced at him. "How did you turn into a demon? You were a human before."

Alexander smiled. "Well, I met a demon, and I begged him to turn me into one." He let out a laugh. "And with a little ritual, he made me a demon."

"Ritual?" Yuzuru scratched his head.

"Well, demons have special curses to turn others into demons. All it takes is to kill the person and bring them back to life." Alexander replied enthusiastically.

"But, we guys can't die."

"Yeah, it was hard, but a high-ranking demon helped, and it was a success." Alexander smiled with closed eyes.

This is way too much to just accept. Yuzuru frowned at him.

"I know, it's a lot, but if you are interested, I can arrange it," Alexander replied while looking at the orange rays from the sunrise.

"n-no, I am goo—" He stood frozen. He glanced at Alexander. "How did you hear that?" He looked around nervously. "I never said that out loud!?"

"Yuzuru, you've a weak memory; didn't I tell you that I can read minds?" Alexander laughed, turning to him.

"Haha, so I am doomed." Yuzuru sat down on the ground; his heart pounded. He looked up at the demon. "So you'll eat me now, my soul or body?"

Alexander smiled. "Don't worry, I don't plan on eating either." He mumbled, "Only your feelings," which was too soft for Yuzuru to hear.