"Aya, sleep."
At Yuda's command, Aya's eyes drifted shut, and she fell into a heavy, artificial slumber. Inside Ficky's mind, the demon stirred, ready to reclaim control.
Yuda Troy believed he had dealt a fatal blow, his blade buried deep in Ficky's chest. But as the snow swirled around them, Ficky's voice cut through the wind, cold and mocking.
"You're the one who let your guard down."
The blade hadn't touched Ficky. The blood staining the white snow wasn't his—it was Yuda's. The attack seemed to reflect back on him, a result of the demon Keno's ability dwelling within Ficky's body. Through this dark manipulation, the damage had been mirrored onto the attacker.
Yuda recoiled, gasping as he withdrew his weapon. His face turned a deathly shade of white—paler than usual—as his fangs extended in a feral hiss. He was bleeding out, liters of crimson soaking into the freezing ground.
"You're immortal, aren't you?" Ficky stepped out of the hut and shut the door firmly, shielding the sleeping Aya. "Hurry up and heal so you can attack me again."
"This wound... it's not healing," Yuda wheezed, his skin turning a faint blue. "What did you do?"
"I always thought vampires didn't have blood of their own—that's why they stole it from humans. I guess I was wrong," Ficky mused.
"Shut up, werewolf!" Yuda lunged with a desperate burst of speed, but Ficky caught his wrists with ease and hurled him away from the hut.
Before Yuda could recover, Ficky shifted. The man vanished, replaced by a massive, snarling gray wolf. With a guttural roar, Ficky descended upon the vampire, his teeth tearing into Yuda's flesh with savage precision. He was tired of being toyed with.
Yuda managed to throw the wolf off, sending Ficky crashing into the side of the hut.
"Damn it... this vampire is more trouble than he's worth," Ficky growled internally.
"Need my help?" the demon Keno offered.
"No."
Ficky charged again on four powerful paws, pinning Yuda to the frozen earth. He shifted back into his human form, standing over the wounded immortal.
"First, I'll apologize for this—even though you started it. To put it simply: change her back. Restore her mind."
"Why ask now, after all this?!" Yuda spat, struggling beneath Ficky's grip.
"Because I have no other choice. I thought about overwriting your spell with another, but it's impossible without breaking her spirit," Ficky admitted.
The tables had turned. Ficky, once blinded by rage, was now the one with the cold head. Yuda, usually the calm aristocrat, was now the one trembling with fury and fear.
"I don't care why you're obsessed with her," Ficky threatened. "But I won't let you make her miserable. Her desire to go home is non-negotiable. Fix her."
Yuda realized he couldn't win this fight against a wolf-demon hybrid. "Fine. But why go to such lengths for her?"
"I have a contract," Ficky said bluntly. "I'm her bodyguard. Since there was no down payment, she has to make it back to our world alive so I can get paid. If she fails, my pride as a protector is stripped away."
Yuda let out a dark laugh. "Is that all? Money? I'm here because she is my lover from the past. I didn't choose to come to this world, but fate brought me back to her."
Ficky stiffened, adjusting his sunglasses as a sharp pang of something—jealousy? recognition?—shot through him. "Lover?"
"Yes. I lived hundreds of years ago. I woke up in a coffin to find someone had drawn a summoning circle, pulling me here. She looks exactly like her. Her personality is the opposite, but I know it's reincarnation. Even if she's returned as a fox."
As Yuda's wounds slowly began to close, he stood up in the light blizzard.
"Reincarnation? Are you sure you haven't just mistaken her for someone else?" Ficky asked, his voice wavering.
"I'm certain. Why? Are you jealous?"
Ficky fell silent. He couldn't deny the thought that had been haunting him: Am I also protecting her because she reminds me of 'her'?
Inside the hut, Aya's eyes fluttered open. She heard voices from outside—hushed, intense whispers.
"If you break your word, I'll lock you in a coffin that will never open again," Ficky's voice growled.
"A gentleman never breaks a promise," Yuda replied.
Aya realized the haze in her mind had lifted. She lifted her hands, feeling the weight of the hypnosis vanish. She looked around, seeing only the rough wooden planks of the hut.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
The door creaked open.
"You're awake? Good. Let's move deeper into the city," Ficky said.
Aya froze. Standing right behind Ficky was Yuda Troy. Her heart raced, and a flood of terrifying memories from her time under his control came rushing back.
Why was he here?
What did he do to Ficky?
Why were they together?
Aya backed into the corner of her bed, her eyes wide with terror, her lips trembling. She looked at Yuda like a cornered animal, anticipating another nightmare.