Dominion of Man

The jingle of keys muffled as Ren stuffed them into his pocket. He pushed open the door, opening with a soft click. Ren and Sayaka stood in the doorway for a moment as a breath of air within drifted past them. The faint scent of detergent and food lingered.

Home.

They walked in; their shoes pressed on the door mat. The house was calm, a haven of normalcy untouched by chaos. The sound of footsteps hurried from the kitchen to the door closing shut behind them.

“We’re back,” Sayaka said aloud just as a figure emerged in front of them. Their mother appeared, eyes wide, apron still tied around her waist. Her hands covered her mouth before stretching out before her.

"Sakaya..." Her gaze warmed toward Ren as she approached them. "You found her!"

Sayaka barely had time to set her shoes aside before her mother wrapped her in a tight hug. It was the kind of hug that said she’d been worried sick.

"I’m sorry," Sayaka murmured, her voice muffled in her mother’s shoulder.
Like I said on the phone here, "There was no signal where I was."

Ren stood a few steps away, letting the sound of their reunion fade into the background.

He laid the keys down on the nearest surface before reaching for his own shoes.

The sound of conversation halted next to him as his jacket hung in front of him.

His mother's arms gripped his shoulders as she lowered herself with him. Ren's eyes lifted to a face more pale than any ghastly entity.

"Your jacket..." Her voice trembled as her hands brushed across the shredded fabric, reaching through the skin underneath. "Are you okay?"

Ren paused before gently swiping her hands away.

"I'm okay. It just caught on something while looking for Sayaka."

"Oh." Her hands retreated to her sides as she turned away from him.

Her eyes looked into Sayaka's as if expecting confirmation. Sayaka hesitated before nodding. A deep breath left their mother's lips; the calm release of tension along with it.

Ren slipped his shoes neatly to the side and started towards the stairs.

"Ren, wait," his mother called, still holding Sayaka. "Stay a bit. I am just about done with food." 

His nose studied the scent that had crept in the air. It was a grounding peace that settled over the home and the people he held dear. The sweet smell wafted of simmering beef, soy, and onions all slowly blending together. 

"Nikujaga, huh?" His nose took in the savory aroma. "That's okay, I am not hungry."

Sayaka gave a small smile in her direction. "Let him rest. He’s… been through a lot."

His steps lead him up the stairs, leaving the sound of fresh whispers behind him. 

There was a matter of utmost importance he had to deal with. 

Upstairs, he gently closed the door behind him with a soft click. The room greeted him with unrecycled air of sweat and cloth. He hadn't spread his curtains since the lockdown days ago, where a faint light struggled helplessly through its cracks.  The window behind it, secured shut like a safe.

Except it was protecting more than just the wind outside.

One thing Ren had heard on the news and forums was that in many cases where demons were sighted, they didn't chase or penetrate those in buildings. It was as if they didn't currently have the ability to pass through the dominion of man. 

Ren didn't know what to believe. However, he remembered staring at the mark on his hand, proving how real it was. And if there was any truth to the information, he wasn't stupid enough to take the chance.  

"Congratulations on leveling up."
A familiar voice echoed in the room. 

Ren stared toward its direction near the window as a figure began to form into focus.

"Aira," Ren said before turning toward the chair near his desk. "Perfect timing. I'm going to allocate my points."

Aira's voice remained soft and silky. "I knew I picked the right person." Her hand raised, displaying an interface in front of Ren. "All you needed was a little push."

Ren ignored her. His eyes fixated on the interface in front of him. There, it confirmed what he was told by Sayaka. He had leveled up, twice, with two points waiting to be allocated.

"Explain to me what each section means, Aira." Ren's gaze held on the interface.

The coldness didn't bother the angel, she reached toward the interface, her finger hovering over the first line of text. "I'm glad you asked. As you can see, your age, race, and class are revealed at the top. A basic ID card."

"Why does it say I am a Seraph?"

"All humans are born with innate divinity within them. This is often referred to as consciousness or the soul."

"If I had this divinity while I was human, why am I now a different creature?" 

"You're not a different 'creature'." She scoffed. "The only way we were able to merge with you was to accelerate your state of being. Meaning, turning your body not into a different race, but restoring it to its original state."

Ren’s eyes shifted toward her. "What do you mean, 'original' state'?" He pressed.

"You've heard of the story of Adam and Eve?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they weren't 'human' beings." Aira stepped back into the afternoon light. "When they were created, they were Seraphs. Not angels, and not what you call humans. 'Man' referred to something else entirely. It was only after the first sin, after the forbidden fruit, where they were stripped of their true forms."

"In other words, they became a lesser species."

"Correct." Aira's lifted her wings in display. "That was also the day they lost the ability to see us, Angels."

"So now I am in the same state as Adam and Eve initially were?"

"Exactly." Her wings folded back behind her. "This was the only way to merge; the only way to fight what was coming."

Ren pondered over the history of his world. A mixture confusion and disbelief plastered on his face.

He returned his focus to the interface in front of him.

"Now explain everything else."

"Certainly," she said as her finger returned over the screen. "Here is your health points, it grows as you grow. Humans are stuck at one hundred and no amount of training can increase that."

"What about MP?"

"It is used to increase your mana capacity. Usually recommended for those pursuing mage paths."

"I see." Ren raised a leg over the other, leaning back in the chair. "You don't have to explain the others. They are self-explanatory."

"You fought impressively against those lesser demons." Aira said, a gentle smile stretched on her face. "Are you planning to continue down the fighter route?" 

"No." Ren tapped his fingers on the interface, before touching the mark on his hand, closing the screen. "There."

Aira's smile faltered in confusion. She motionlessly watched as Ren walked over to his bed, collapsing on its surface.

"Ren," she whispered toward his direction. "Did... you make a mistake?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, pulling the blanket over himself.

"It shows you allocated your points into MP."

"That's correct." He turned toward the wall, his phone in his hands. "If I have to assign points, then I'll allocate them how I see fit, and MP seems like the one that won't change me into a being I don't want to be."

Aira's face remained unchanged as silence and the faint sound of tapping whispered in the corner.

"By the way," he said without looking back, "where were you this whole time?"

She tilted her head slightly. Her tone stayed even. "You told me you wanted a normal life. I thought it best to try and honor that."

That made him pause. For a moment, The tension in his expression eased for the first time all day.
"…Thanks."

Aira spoke faintly. "We are one. Your interests are mine."

Ren yawned, tired but sincere. "Let’s not get too carried away..."

He drifted into a deep sleep, unaware of a horror that squeezed between the veil of mortality.

__________

Current stats:

Ren Kurosawa
Level: 4
Age: 17
Race: Seraph
Class: Novice Arcanis Seer (New)
HP: 130
MP: 3
Strength: 2
Magic: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Faith Points: 0