At the break of morning, the sun barely illuminated Demon Land, with no clear days for half the year. A young maid pushed a cart through the corridors, likely filled with food—lots of food. She was thin, with beige hair and brown eyes, wearing a typical maid outfit: long sleeves, a skirt slightly above the ankles, brown leather boots, two black horns on the sides of her head, and a tail with a flower at its tip. She walked smiling; this was Inéz, first daughter and heir of House Loulóudi, who had abandoned her duties to be near her love.
She walked a few more meters until she reached a double door of light wood with black details.
She took a key from her pocket, assuming the door was locked—and it was. Upon opening it, she revealed Barn's room, where he was still asleep. She locked it again after entering, put away the key, and left the cart in front of the bed, positioning herself next to Barn to observe him. He slept so serene and carefree, with that black thing beside him… thing… black?
She lifted her right leg, carefully removing one of her boots, preparing to strike whatever it was.
"Don't do that," said the redhead, fully awake.
The girl put her boot back on, smiling at him and ignoring the thing beside him.
"Good morning, Madame! You know, you're really beautiful when you sleep. Sometimes I even envy whoever will marry you in the future. Imagine having you as a wife, do you want to be someone's wife n— Whoa!" she screamed when someone grabbed her tail and sniffed the flower at its tip. Embarrassed, she quickly pulled it back.
"If I eat this, it won't grow back, right?" asked Barn.
"No! It grows… but I'd become weak. It would be a sacrifice I'd have to make…" she dramatized, putting her hand on her forehead and running toward the cart.
Barn stretched as he watched her move away, lying closer to the boy beside him. He gently shook him, seeing his little eyes slowly open and immediately widen as he noticed the unfamiliar surroundings, tensing his body backward.
The young boy analyzed possible escape routes.
There are two doors, one in front and one to the right; probably one leads to an adjacent room… The window behind me is large enough to pass through, but if it's locked, it might be impossible to open… And if this guy beside me is who I think he is… I'd rather have been eaten alive! thought Kazumi, glancing nervously at the demon beside him, who stared back.
"You won't be able to escape, if that's what you're thinking," said Barn.
He noticed…! He tightened the blanket around his lap.
"So, what's your name?" Barn moved closer, his expression serious, making the boy more nervous.
"Kazumi, Kazumi Kardiá…" he said reluctantly.
"Kardiá, huh? I expected something like that… I don't think you belong to any of the primary lineages, much less the main one, which means you're hiding something. Maybe your whole family is like you… You're trying to protect them, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll find out…" His smile made Kazumi shudder.
Why didn't you just finish me off when you saw me?! If he really was who Kazumi thought, he would've eliminated them without a word as soon as he noticed them.
"That's a good question. You have something I've never seen before, deep inside you, and it piqued my interest… I want to study your soul," he said honestly, without hiding his intentions.
"And… then…?" asked Kazumi.
"If the result shows that you don't need to constantly swap bodies by devouring its soul, I'll leave the others like you in peace."
"And what will happen to me?"
"Honestly, I don't know," he shrugged, moving away and sitting at the edge of the bed.
Kazumi felt anxious about his uncertain future. He hoped that if things got really bad, his mother would appear. I'll pray to God that I'll be okay, and more importantly, that I'll remain beautiful!
He carefully climbed down the bed, as his body was still small and the bed relatively high. If he didn't, he might hit the floor unpleasantly. When his feet touched the wooden floor, he noticed the clothes he was wearing: they weren't the same as when he was found… Did he change my clothes?! And I feel cleaner… Did he give me a bath?! And these pajamas… it's the same as Barn's, just smaller! What does that mean?!
He knelt, sitting on his legs, closed his eyes, and intertwined his fingers.
Oh, Great Nicodemos, God of Love, Beauty, and Rest, protect me from this nefarious being who wants to possess me without Your due approval. Prevent him from corrupting my purity and guide me not to fall into temptation. Deny us love, grant us beauty, grant us rest, and clarify my doubts, from Your child, Kazumi Kardiá Shifen. His ears warmed in response, relieved to feel answered negatively.
Oh, Great Nicodemos, God of Love, Beauty, and Rest, I thank You for responding to my doubts and hope You can kindly forgive me for disturbing Your rest, from Your child, Kazumi Kardiá Shifen. He opened his eyes and noticed he was being watched by two figures.
Barn looked at him curiously while enjoying a piece of meat. Inéz, on the other hand, seemed perplexed by the scene, leaving the boy slightly confused.
The girl looked at the redhead, shaking her head, held his shoulders, and stared into his eyes.
"You know I love you and always support you in everything, even the most questionable and bizarre things, but bringing a northern demon?! You know how the followers of the gods and their worship are frowned upon here. Or are you forgetting why they dislike you? And you don't even like him!" she tried to reason with him.
"I don't know why you're worried. Relax, I'll 'fix him'," he said with a silly smile. "And I'll lock him downstairs… Anyway, I have a lot of work these days, so much piled up, you know? I need you to leave my room in perfect condition for when I return. Can I count on you?"
"Of course," replied Inéz, not very enthusiastic.
Barn removed his pajamas and put on something more appropriate to go out: a white shirt, pants, and black shoes, all very simple, as he'd have to take them off later anyway.
Barn turned his attention to the boy, who was still sitting in the same spot. He picked up the clothes he had taken from him and crouched to be at his level.
"Do these clothes have any sentimental value or anything?" he asked, tossing them in front of him.
"No…"
"Great, put them on."
"In front of you?!" he shrank back, cheeks red, trying to cover himself.
"I'll turn around, okay?" Barn stood up, giving his back to the boy. "Are you claustrophobic?"
"No…?"
"Alright…"
They stayed in silence for a while, waiting for the boy to change. Barn swayed slightly forward and backward.
"Are you done…?" he asked, interrupted by a knock on the door before the boy could answer, turning his attention to it. "Stay put."
Since Inéz had already left, taking the things she had brought, if he answered the door, the boy would be unsupervised.
Hopefully it's one of my personal maids, the only one who knocks, Ariel, or a family member… He breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming it was the first option.
"Good thing you're not my father."
The woman looked at him indifferently, holding a metal box. Her light green hair formed two side buns and two strands at the front of her face, deep blue eyes, rounded ears, no horns or tail—perhaps not a demon. She wore the same outfit as Inéz.
"I brought what Your Lordship requested," she handed the box to him. "Your carriage awaits, as you ordered. I shall withdraw now. If you need anything else, I'll be right nearby."
"How are you so much better than the others?" said Barn with a big smile.
"I simply do my job. Excuse me," she bowed and headed to the corridor, positioning herself beside the door.
Barn closed the door and brought the box near Kazumi, who feared what might happen. He placed the box on the bed and pressed his hand over it, opening it to reveal it was completely empty.
He picked up the boy, who had finished changing, and put him inside the box, which was too small for his body, forcing him to curl up.
"Why do I have to stay in this tight thing?" muttered Kazumi, very uncomfortable.
"It's mandatory to place our 'special belongings' in boxes like this to transport them. When we arrive, I won't be the one to open the box, and it may take a while before you see me again," he explained, interrupted by Kazumi before he could close the box.
"'Special belongings'?"
"A fancy name for test subjects," said Barn, closing the box before Kazumi could ask more, which could only be opened by a limited number of individuals.
With everything ready, a carriage awaited, and he was quite excited. He quickly left the room, sliding down the banister, running enthusiastically out of the mansion, where a huge and magnificent carriage awaited. It was a deep blue, pleasant to the eyes, with white details on the doors, windows, and large wheels.
Instead of horses, two hexapod demons pulled it, each with four front legs, long tails, curved black horns pointing downward, elongated mouths, without eyes or ears, and dark purple-black skin. They waited calmly for Barn's arrival, and upon noticing him, one asked:
"Where are we going, Master?"
"To the Research Center!" exclaimed Barn cheerfully, barely able to wait to begin the tests.