Chapter 5: Johanne's Dream

962 47 30
                                    

"Johanne!"

"Huh? Who... Who's calling me?"

"Johanne..."

"What is this voice? Who are you?"

Johanne was in an evening field, looking around, unable to tell who was calling her.

"W... What is this place? Where am I?" she said and thought all at the same time, as she was in a dream, where speech and thoughts are often intertwined.

"Johanne..." 

She heard the same deep voice again, which carried an ominous tone as if an unearthly being spoke to her through her dream. She felt an obscure, vile aura from behind her. She turned back, to shiver in fear: an inhumanly tall young man with long black hair and dark brown eyes stood before her, dressed in precious dark red robes, carrying a black-handled sword sheathed in a golden scabbard. Johanne watched him with her mouth wide open - such a handsome lad! But something was weird about him - he seemed so vile and darkened that it brought her shudders.

 Johanne watched him with her mouth wide open - such a handsome lad! But something was weird about him - he seemed so vile and darkened that it brought her shudders

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

"W... Who are you?" 

She asked, and, almost against her will (since, in her dream, she could not control herself but did what came first to her mind), stepped back. The boy caught her arm and stopped her. His touch brought shivers down her spine. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Do not fear." The boy gave her a kind, benevolent smile. "I am your unearthly guardian."

"You don't mean... an angel?" Johanne widened her eyes - so she had one, after all?!

The lad's smile turned bitter:

"No, not an angel, and not a spirit either."

The girl blinked - if not an angel or a spirit, what was he then? She froze - he didn't mean...

"A demon?!" 

She pulled away from the frightening young man, but he clutched her arm and stopped her. More tears gushed from her eyes: 

"No! Let go of me..."

"Please, Johanne, do not fear me. I am not only a demon. I was assigned as your guardian after the heavenly forces heard your current angel had betrayed you."

"B... But why a demon?! I shall be damned for life!" 

Johanne sobbed. Sorrow overwhelmed her heart - they doomed her soul to be this demon's snack!

"Do not cry, I'm not going to harm you," the boy continued reassuring her, getting sadder and sadder by every such word she uttered. "I guess I did appear earlier than I should have. It seems hard to explain to you this way, but please, give your cousin just a little chance."

"M... My cousin? W... What do you mean?"

"You know your aunt, Lily, is the reincarnation of Lilith, don't you?"

"Ah, yeah, Auntie Lucy told me about it."

"Well then, I am Lilith's only son, Incubus."

"Ah, the dreadful demon of nightmares? So, you've truly come to frighten me!" She burst out crying anew, "I don't want nightmares! My life problems are enough!" 

She felt the boy's arms embrace her and press her to his chest. She blinked in stupefaction and looked up at him - he was hugging her. 

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"I'd never permit myself to disturb my beloved little cousin's dreams," Incubus uttered in a rather serious tone and gazed into her face with his eyes shimmering from the utmost sorrow he felt deep at heart. "Please, tell me anything I can do to prove you of my service!"

Johanne was dumbfounded - the prince of demons was bowing to her!

"Wow..." she murmured. "Can you treat me to the chocolate cake my mom makes? I only rarely got to eat it - mom was often busy... So, even if it's just a dream, as long as I can taste its flavour, I'm okay with it."

Before she could even blink, she appeared in a giant chocolate cake castle!

"Dig in. All yours." Incubus beamed.

Johanne gasped, then jumped in joy, cried out a "hurrah", and dashed at the cake walls, greedily biting them. After contenting herself with the dreamy cake, she rushed back to the lad and grinned at him, with chocolate all over her mouth:

"So, you're truly a real deal!"

The demon boy chuckled at such childish playfulness of hers.

"Well then, if you ever need my help in the real world, the Bond Item of the skeleton bracelet you carry was actually gifted to you by my father back in your childhood, and it belongs to me." He raised his hand, showing her the same type of a skeleton bracelet he wore on his wrist.

"So, it was you! The main guardian they talked to me about!"

"Yes. I've just come to your dreams this once, to tell you about it. I am sorry for having disturbed you. I promise not to frighten you like this anymore." Incubus bowed again, and then turned around, ready to leave.

"No, wait!" Johanne grabbed his red sleeve.

"Huh?" The demon boy turned back to her with surprise.

"Please... do visit sometimes, for pleasant dreams." 

Johanne's eyes filled with tears again - finally, she got to have a friend, and he said he was going to leave? There was no way!

Incubus smiled and caressed her on the head:

"Visit your aunt Lily tomorrow. I'll make sure to come."

"Really?"

"I promise."

The lad vanished before her in ominous black smoke.

Johanne's vision got blurred. Once she reopened her eyes, she found herself in her room back in the Huli Palace, in the real world, where the sun had already risen. She touched the skeleton bracelet on her arm, which, surprisingly for her, didn't seem so ghastly anymore.

The Guardian Demon (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #3)Where stories live. Discover now