The oil lamp burned steadily, its orange-red flame flickering softly. Soma sat quietly at the table, gazing at the flame as he silently endured the rising craving in his heart for flesh and blood.
He could feel that hunger growing stronger bit by bit, slowly eroding his will.
If it continued like this, one day that craving would eventually overwhelm his resolve. And then, he would become like most demons in this world.
Such was the fate of becoming a demon.
Even someone as powerful as the progenitor of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, could not escape it.
Precisely because of this, no matter how strong-willed a person once was, after becoming a demon, they would ultimately fall into despair—degenerating into a monster they themselves could no longer recognize.
Fortunately, his heart was not yet in despair. There was still hope within him. He still possessed the will to resist.
The lamp flame continued to flicker, yet it no longer seemed as bright as before. It wasn't that the flame had dimmed—rather, the sun was about to rise. The surrounding darkness was fading, making the lamplight less noticeable.
As it did every day, the sun was preparing to rise in the east once more, casting its light upon every corner of the earth.
Soma blew out the oil lamp and turned toward the window. Faintly, dawn was already beginning to pierce through the clouds.
At that moment, a surge of panic rose in his heart—the instinctive fear demons felt toward sunlight.
Lowering his gaze slightly, he stood up, walked to the bed, bent down, and began crawling underneath it.
As he moved toward the darkness beneath the bed, a sudden wave of anger and humiliation welled up inside him.
He possessed a body of immense strength. He had near-immortality. Yet when the sun rose, he could only hide in the shadows like a rat in a gutter, like some loathsome insect.
Suppressing the humiliation in his heart, he crawled toward the wooden board beneath the bed and prepared to lift it to enter the underground pit.
But just as he was about to climb inside, he paused and turned his head.
At some point, Kanao had gotten out of bed and crawled under as well. She had already made her way to his side.
"Why did you come down here?" Soma looked at the girl and spoke gently.
"Uncle, are you going into the underground pit?" Kanao looked at the opened cover, revealing the dug-out hollow beneath.
"Mm."
He nodded.
"Then can I go with Uncle?"
The girl lifted her eyes to look at him. Those beautiful eyes were filled with anticipation.
Soma couldn't help but smile helplessly. "It's damp and cold down there. It's not a good place to stay."
Kanao tilted her head slightly, looking confused. If it was so unpleasant down there, why did he have to go inside?
Outside was clearly comfortable.
Uncle could sleep on the soft bed just like Kanao, waiting for the warmth of sunlight to fall upon him.
Seeing her puzzled expression, Soma didn't quite know how to explain it. Should he tell her that he was a demon—and that when the sun came out, he could only hide in darkness?
"When the sun rises, I can only hide here," he said instead, reaching out to lightly tap her little nose. "Go back up. Rest properly on the bed. If you get hungry, go to the innkeeper and ask for food."
With that, Soma dropped into the underground pit and prepared to close the wooden cover above him.
"Uncle…" Kanao's large eyes watched him.
Soma turned back, looking at her questioningly.
"Kanao still wants to stay with Uncle," the girl said softly.
"Didn't I say? The underground pit is damp. It's not good to stay there," he explained again.
Unlike demons, who thrive in darkness as if fish in water, humans are different. Humans are drawn to the light. Moreover, Kanao's body wasn't strong—staying in a cold, damp pit could easily make her ill.
"But Uncle is in there too,"
Kanao said softly, her mood dimming. "It wouldn't be good for Uncle either. If Kanao stays with you, maybe it would be a little better."
Hearing that, Soma looked at her, his gaze softening. "Uncle can't stand in the sunlight."
Yet seeing the girl's disappointment, he couldn't bear to let her remain upset. So he smiled and said,
"Even though Uncle can't step into the sunlight… Kanao can. You can stand in the sun and feel its warmth for me."
"For you, Uncle?" Kanao's eyes brightened slightly. "So… I just have to stand in the sunlight?"
"You also need to feel its warmth. Feel the warmth of the sunlight on your body. If Kanao can feel it, then Uncle can feel it too."
"Really?" The girl sounded delighted.
"Mm. Go on." Soma smiled as he watched Kanao Tsuyuri walk to the window.
At that moment, the gentle rays of dawn streamed in through the window. The girl stretched out her hands and lightly cupped the sunlight.
"Uncle, when the sunlight shines on me, it feels a little warm…"
Kanao closed her eyes, carefully sensing the warmth on her skin. She tried her best to feel it—so that Uncle could feel it too, just like she did.
As she felt it, she described it to him.
After finishing, she sounded excited. "Uncle, did you feel it?"
"Mm, I did. It feels very warm."
His gentle voice came from beneath the floor.
"That's… wonderful."
Kanao was very happy. She turned instinctively toward him. The wooden board had already been closed; she could no longer see him. But she knew Uncle was there, in the darkness beneath it—surely feeling the warmth of the sunlight through her.
If Uncle could feel the warmth of sunlight on his body through her, then it would surely drive away much of the cold and dampness. He would feel much more comfortable.
"Uncle, I'll make sure to feel it properly for you."
Kanao clenched her small fists slightly. "Being able to help Uncle is… really wonderful."
......
In the dark underground pit, Soma listened to the girl's innocent words and couldn't help but smile faintly.
She was still just a child. A simple lie was enough to fool her. How could he possibly feel the sunlight through her?
It was impossible.
He could never feel the warmth of the sun on his skin through Kanao.
And yet, though he could not share the sunlight itself, the girl's sincerity made his heart feel warm.
He gently lifted the wooden board just a crack and looked at Kanao standing in the sunlight.
She immediately noticed the small gap opening and sensed that Uncle was watching her.
So she gave a pure, sweet smile. With both hands, she gathered the sunlight that fell into her palms and held it toward him—
As if she could scoop up a handful of warm sunlight and offer it to him.
He pressed his lips together and smiled silently. Then he closed the final sliver of the wooden board.
The instinctive fear and unease that rose within him at the coming of the sun seemed, at that moment, to gradually settle and fade away.