Content Warning: Some mild intimacy

Andreas awoke with a start when his head was doused with a bucket of cold water.  His head throbbed and his teeth chattered.  He shivered and wanted to wrap his arms around himself, but realized that they were tied behind his back.  He was sitting on an uncomfortably hard chair and noticed that his feet were tied to the chair’s legs.  Blinding light shone down on him.

“You’re finally awake,” an ominous voice said.

Andreas’s heart rate quickened.  Beyond the light, he could see several silhouettes.  “W-where am I?”

“You’ve been detained.”

‘What?  Why?”

“For assisting the demon,” said a second voice.

Andreas furrowed his brow.  “Why do you keep calling him a demon?”

“You saw clearly with your own eyes that he’s not human,” said the first voice.

Andreas recalled the confrontation earlier, when black wings had sprouted out of Viro’s back.  How much time had passed since then?

“But…a demon?” he asked.  “How is that possible?”

One of the silhouettes stepped into the spotlight.  Andreas looked up.  The man towered over him and looked like the sort of person who never smiled.  He had sharp features and a scar that ran diagonally across his face.  His dark hair was tied back in a bun.  The hem of his long dark coat hovered over his boots.

“There is another realm that is superimposed over our world,” said the man.  “Our world is shielded from this realm by an invisible barrier.”

“For centuries, our organization has guarded this barrier, making sure nothing gets through,” said the second voice.  “Occasionally, there are tears in this barrier and demons are able to enter our world.  When this happens, we need to hunt them down before they cause harm.”

“Hunt them down?” asked Andreas.

“Yes, they must be eliminated,” said a third voice.

Andreas gasped.  “Are you going to…kill Viro?”

“Viro?” the man with the scar laughed.  ”You gave that thing a name?”

Andreas felt his blood boil.  “He’s not a thing!  And he said that was his name.”

The second voice scoffed.  “Well, he’s certainly not human.  Surely, you must have noticed there was something off about him.”

Andreas thought about Viro’s silver eyes.  He knew that his eye color was unnatural, but he had gotten so used to looking at them that he did not give it much thought.  In fact, he thought they were beautiful.  

“Quite frankly, we’re surprised you’re still alive,” the third voice chimed in.  “Demons are generally quite dangerous.  What did you do to tame him?”

“Tame him?” said Andreas.  “I just found him washed up on the shore and took him in.”

The scar-faced one turned to his colleagues as if they were exchanging bewildered looks.  He turned back to Andreas and laughed.  “It’s like someone taking in a wounded, stray animal.”

Andreas narrowed his eyes.  “Stop talking about him like that!”

“Tsk,” said the second voice.  “Compassion is good, but you’re dealing with a dangerous creature.”

“He’s not dangerous!” Andreas protested.  “He’s never done anything to harm anyone!”

“Yet…” added the third voice.

The scar-faced one glared at Andreas.  “Clearly, you’ve gotten too attached and have already been tainted.”

“What?!”

“We’ll have to keep you detained indefinitely so you don’t affect the general population.”

“No!”

The scar-faced man walked behind Andreas and clamped his hands down on his shoulders to hold him in place.

Andreas panicked.  “What are you doing?”

“Calm down, we’re just going to move you back into your cell,” the scar-faced man explained.  He tightened his grip on Andreas’ shoulders.  “No kicking or else.”  His colleague went up to Andreas and untied his feet from the chair.  They hauled him out of his seat.  The scar-faced man kept his hand on the scruff of Andreas’ neck.  “Walk.”

Andreas was led out of the room and down a narrow dimly lit corridor.  The lights on the walls flickered.  There was a damp, musty smell.  His heart was pounding.  Every time his feet dragged, the scar-faced man pushed him forward.

They stopped in front of a heavy metal door that had a small window with bars above his eye level.  One of the men unlocked the door and pried it open.  It creaked loudly.  Andreas looked inside.  It was pitch black.

The scar-faced man untied Andreas’ hands and shoved him in.  He landed on the rough, cold stone floor with a yelp.  Before he could pick himself off the floor, the door slammed shut and locked.

He scrambled to his feet and pounded on the door.  “Let me out!”

“You will stay here for the time being,” said the scar-faced man.  “Someone will come by with food in the morning.”  There was a shuffling of feet as the men walked away.

“Let me out!  Let me out!” Andreas screamed.  He heard the footsteps become more distant.  He pounded on the cold metal until his fists were sore and screamed until his voice was hoarse.  No more sounds came from the corridor.  He finally sank to his knees and tears spilled down his cheeks.

***

Hours passed.  There were no windows that opened to the outside, so Andreas could not tell what time it was.  He was lying on the cold stone floor, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.  The air was stale and he took slow breaths to keep calm.

How did this all happen? he thought.  Is Viro really a demon?  Have I really been fooled this whole time?

He frowned and wrapped his arms around his knees even tighter.  

If only he hadn’t come…then this wouldn’t have happened…I wouldn’t be here…

The image of an unconscious Viro curled up on the shore flooded his mind.  The first day they had met.

No!  I shouldn’t think this way!  He hasn’t done anything wrong!

He remembered Viro’s warm smiles and prolonged glances.

Has he?

What had happened before Viro washed up on the shore?  He could not speak Viro’s language and Viro could not speak his, so it was always a mystery.

Will I be stuck here forever?

He thought about his house.  Before Viro came, Andreas slept in the master bedroom alone, in a large bed that felt too empty.  Sometimes he imagined that the ghosts of his parents were wandering about.  When Viro arrived, Andreas placed him in his old childhood room.  The yellowed books on the shelf were the ones that Andreas used to read when he was younger.  Although he doubted that Viro could understand them, Andreas sometimes saw him leaf through the pages in the quiet afternoons when there was nothing else to do.

Everything changed after their first kiss in the lighthouse.  From then on, Andreas let Viro stay overnight in the master bedroom.  Every night, they held each other and listened to the soft sounds of the ocean waves.  Viro whispered Andreas’ name in the darkness. He exhaled softly when Andreas kissed his forehead, nose, and lips.  Andreas cupped Viro's face and brushed his fingers through his hair.  He wrapped his arms around Viro and pulled him closer.

He wanted to hold him like this forever.

And now it was all over.  Andreas curled up more tightly on the cold floor.  He sniffled and fresh tears formed in his eyes.  Like his university days, his moments with Viro would now be nothing more than pleasant memories.