Screams roared through the empty streets, as the young man finally kneeled in defeat. His arms swung like a ragdoll before finally hitting the ground. The demon turned around with a cold gaze towards his now-dead host. In a swift motion, he plunged his fist through the man’s rib cage tearing the heart from muscle tissue and lingering blood vessels. A feast worthy of any demon in this world. A human not affected by sin was a rare sight nowadays. Demons were flooding the region and most humans were reduced to nothing more than pure sinful creatures.

Kai feasted on the poor man’s heart and licked off the remaining blood from the tip of his fingers as he noticed footsteps not too far away. He left the body and roamed the rooftops scouting for the sound and there she was, the daughter of Earl Hiraeth. He took notice of her long brown hair and depressed posture and halted when she suddenly stopped to lean against the wall.

Kai kept spectating for a moment while being on the lookout for another more favourable choice. Displeased with his options he leapt from the roof in his shadow form and rode with the wind like a snake in an attempt to possess her, but before he could even get close enough she collapsed, disrupting the process.

In a quick reflex, he took hold of her upper arm, forcing her to stand on her own two legs. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that her features were stronger and more delicate, although still very ladylike. No question was needed, she had seen better days and was probably better off not roaming around the streets like this. She had the potential to be an ordinary case of a quick fix to a hungry belly, yet, here he was, hesitating. 

Kai wished that another solid prey would show up, but he had run out of luck in this region. At most, a host would last him a week if he remained dormant enough, but even this woman seemed like she would not last for more than a day or two. He released his grip on her and let her slip down the wall, not even mindful of her surroundings.

Kai could not deny the urge for more and although this woman held no long-term value for him, he still could not turn his back on her. He kneeled at her side and locked his grip around her upper arm but then, she finally turned to look at him with drowsy eyes emitting a low-key desperate yearning for something. In a mutual gaze, he subconsciously ended up triggering the possession process and vanished into thin air whereto she dropped to the ground all curled up.

It felt like hours had passed while Kai waited for the opportunity to take control of her body. At this moment he finally realised what this woman had been searching for so desperately, but her persistent slumber made him anxious. He refused to let her die here in the middle of the street, he could simply not leave her out in the open. What if the local order came around and found her? Then all of this would have been a complete waste. He would be discovered and expelled before he could even release her again.

When she finally woke up and got back on her feet, she wandered back to her house. Once inside she locked the door behind her and looked to the upper floor. With heavy steps, she managed to climb the stairs and stumbled down the hallway to get to her bedroom. She reached out for the nearest bed frame pillar and caught herself before her knees gave out, slightly shaking. 

Kai remained dormant and indifferent to Eyre’s endeavours until he noticed a sharp sense of desperation in her flow of energy and shifted his attention. She had found a scissor from the vanity drawer and like other citizens in this town, she veiled in the need to end her own life. As she lined up the tool in her hand getting ready for the plunge, Kai stretched out his power of control, paralysing her movement. He forced her to gaze into the vanity mirror where she noticed a change to her face, yet she found it impossible to scream.

“Drop it.” He growled in her mind. He pulled back his control slowly as he manifested himself resting on his knees right behind her, staring into the mirror, with a hand resting on the same pillar she had been clinging to.

Eyre never once looked away until she finally dropped the scissor and turned around to look at him. Kai shifted his gaze from the mirror and down at her, not moving a muscle. His gaze narrowed when he met her eyes and instantly averted it when he felt his core energy of sin shifting. He never expected it, yet here he was, under the influence of his curse. 

A soft bump on the bed pulled his attention back again; she had passed out. Out of sheer curiosity, he leaned in over her, studying her features once more. He needed her alive at all costs. One wrong move and she would die like all the others. Regardless of the issues he had to deal with, there was no time to leave out even a single option for danger. He sighed, annoyed by the fact that her afflicted sin stemmed from the very same that drove his instincts. 

“It’ll all be over soon.” He mumbled to himself, trying to calm the nerves that kept shaking him up. 

Kai got off the bed and picked up the scissors, wondering why she had wished to take her own life. Rarely, if ever, had he seen people driven to their deathbeds when their drive and lifeforce were still blooming the way that hers did. Truly he had thought she would not last, but the desperation in her eyes gave him a reason to believe in the impossible. She might last, only to his benefit. He may even be given a chance to do the things he had wanted to do for so long.

Kai put the scissors away and glanced at her for a moment through the mirror before he turned around on the heel and stepped closer. His reasoning failed to keep him in check as he leaned down and slid his hand under her neck, supporting her shoulders while he also scooped the other under her kneecaps, lifting her swiftly. He halted right away, noticing how he had continuously been seeking eye contact with her, although she was sound asleep. He took a deep breath trying to pull his senses together as he made his way around the bed. With a knee placed on the mattress, he aligned her in the centre, tugging her in carefully. He clenched his fist and sighed once more turning his back to her while sitting on the bed. 

Kai spent the night speculating after going back into hiding. Only leaving himself to the conclusion; that she was going to be one of the most difficult hosts he ever had to deal with.