Arden lay in bed mortified. HIs eyes glued to the ceiling as he chastises himself for such an oversight. He had been so excited about his discovery that he allowed himself to be found out. The secret that he was finally able to keep now that he had moved to a new place. A secret that only he and his mom held. The secret of his birth. Arden had been born with female anatomy, yet for his whole life he knew it didn’t quite fit. It was difficult to describe and many told him he was foolish, but they couldn’t possibly feel what he felt. He attempted to blend in to society as a man, but until he moved away from the village where he was born, the truth stuck with him like the plague. He felt the careful concealment built during his time here crashing down around him brick by brick threatening to entomb him.
He slung his arm over his eyes with a groan. The demon knew his secret. There was nothing he could do now. But how could he possibly face him tomorrow? Not only the gut wrenching realization that he knows, but also the sheer embarrassment of being seen completely nude by a handsome stranger.
He scolded himself again for regarding Erebus with just flattery. He sighed and willed himself to go to sleep. Maybe he would wake up and this would just be a bad dream. Delusional hope, but delusional hope is better than no hope. Perhaps it would at least distract him long enough to be able to fall asleep.
He felt the tug of sleep on him, yet it was different than usual. This time it was much more directional and specific. Erebus. He followed the feeling with his mind, conjuring a long winding hallway of doors in his mind. Each door was different, yet if he stared at one too long it vanished and became a section of wall once more. The floor was clean, probably due to Arden’s imagination preferring cleanliness to clutter. With his mind so consumed with thoughts and mental clutter, being surrounded by neatness was a refreshing change.
The feeling grew stronger and stronger until he was face to face with a door at the end of the hallway. Arden turned around to see the distance he traveled but the hallway was now just a room with a door. No windows, no ceiling, just four plain walls and a plain door. With caution, Arden approached the door, feeling the energy intensify. Slowly, he tilted his ear towards the wood and leaned forward, searching the room for sound.
“You need not fear me, Arden. I am simply calling you as you have called me so many times. With your magic awakened, you are able to answer my summons.” His voice was calm and sounded far from the threshold. “Open the door.” It was a command, but it was presented gently. Arden’s hand reached forward towards the handle. He set his fingers gently on the brass knob, but hesitated to turn it.
With a burst of confidence he flung the door open and peered inside. It was dark, much darker than the hallway. He squinted in hopes that his eyes would adjust faster to the change in light. The only lights in the room were two glowing spheres tucked away into the back.
“You need not come inside, your eyes will never adjust to this darkness. I have shrouded the room intentionally to conceal my true form from you.”
“Then why did I have to open the door?” Arden asked, with a hint of attitude.
Erebus laughed. “Because it took a lot of energy for me to sumon you here, had you not accepted the invitation I would still be pouring energy into it. By opening the door you are now sharing the cost of the conversation.” Arden realized he still knew nothing about magic. The ‘cost’ of the conversation? He had no idea what that meant. “We do not have much time, my magic grows weak. I wish to congratulate you on your success and I look forward to continuing our lessons.”
Arden did not know what to say to such a sentimental statement coming from Erebus. “Um. Thank you?”
“You also need not concern yourself with modesty around me. The demon world is much more lax with our attire than humans, you need not be embarrassed.”
Arden’s teeth clenched behind his lips, fighting the knots tightening in his stomach at the reminder. “I would rather not speak of that.”
“If it is a secret you hold, you need not be afraid. You are the only person in many years that has spoken to me, and I have no intention of changing that.”
A small part of his body felt lighter at the statement, but the feeling of dysphoria grew as they continued to talk about it. He clawed at his skin, doing no real damage within this vision. “Thank you. I will talk to you tomorrow.” Without waiting for a reply, he closed the door and opened his eyes to sever the connection. His body felt heavy and wrong. He wanted desperately to sleep so that he could forget about it until morning, but his mind kept him awake for another hour before his body fell to exhaustion.
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