Night has fallen upon the house when I open my eyes again.

l sit up and slowly look around.

Of course, there are no anxious or expectant people sitting around me. This institute has no favorites around its children. If I survive the night after a little bit of treatment, I will further be medicated. I feel my sore throat. At least it only seems to be a cold

But somebody is there. I look up.

Next to me, on the covers of my bed, I can make out the silhouette of my demon in the dark.

He turns his head as though he feels my glare and stares at me with his beaming, white eyes.

“You had a fever. I thought you would stay conscious for a bit longer. Forgot to take how starving you are into account.”

I remember my bad headache and all the dizziness. He was more observant than I had previously realized.

I breathe in the silence and muster him in the yellow distant light of the moon, that shines through my little window.

He returns my gaze and I, in the silence of the night, try to figure out what he really is.

I could still feel the bitter taste his brutal behavior at the fight left in my mouth. But he had also sensed my sickness, and waited at the site of my bed, which no human had ever done before.

I lean forward and put my head into my hands.

“Why are your eyes so light?”, whisper I, my voice weak and dry.

“It runs in the family.”, he replies without batting an eye.

“And your hair? You´re almost like an albino.”

He tilts his head and I realize he doesn´t know what an Albino is.

“...My hair is my mother´s”

“Well, so you inherited your parent´s features, but why is it so light? Has it been like that for generations? I mean that should be rather unhelpful out in the wilderness...”

He shows me a really crooked grin.

“If you need to run from someone, it´s unfortunate for sure.”

A cold shiver goes down my spine again. He slides back on the bed and sits down next to me.

“You should try to go back to sleep.”

We lock eyes again, staring at each other. Strands of his hair gleamed in the moonlight, and his face shows not a hint of explanation of any of his behavior. Somehow – even after all that had happened today, I still felt kind of safe with him. At least he really couldn´t leave me, even if he wanted to.

Which was a selfish and lonely thought. I sigh and massage my neck, before lying down in the bed again.

“Was it really that easy to beat the buffalo?”

“No. I had to hold back, to make sure your friend´s clothes didn´t rip. Would have been a lot easier without the handicap.”

I roll my eyes. Well, at least he didn´t destroy them.

“Why do you not like Peter? You keep pushing his buttons... You´re smart enough to know that.”

“Oh, It is smart enough to know that?”, he murmurs and I chuckle.

“Well,”, he continues and his voice gets a bit softer, “I don´t like that he is so close to you.”