I'm lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything that's happened so far.
"What a weird fucking week. Can't believe I'm the one holding this gauntlet" As I hold my arm up examinig the gauntlet, a curious thought passes my mind wondering if I'll ever get to see and use the absolute full potential of the gauntlet.
"Anyways—I need a shower. I've been in these clothes forever," I mutter as I stumble toward the bathroom, flicking the light on suddenly blinded as the light comes on in a brilliant yellow shine, my eyes snap shut. "Shit that's bright, why did I look at the light when I turned it on?" My thoughts race realizing that I'm just an idiot, I open the shower curtain and turn the water on taking the rest of my clothes off, I fold them and put them on the sink next to the shower.
Under the hot spray, my mind drifts back to training with Caleif. Why did I grab nunchucks instead of a sword? Would it have made a difference? Probably not. Then the gauntlet on my wrist starts humming, energy coalesces, and suddenly there's a sword in my hand.
I freeze—not because I formed a blade, but because its tip is buried in the shower wall, spiderweb cracks fanning out.
"Shit, shit, shit. She's going to kill me," I whisper, wiggling the sword until it blinks out and slides back into the gauntlet.
I stare at my hand, speechless, until Estingoth's voice rings in my head. "My apologies, Kamen. It seems you've unlocked the ability to form weapons with my energy. I never anticipated this. Quite the strange day."
I whirl under the water. "Great. How do I explain a giant hole in the wall to Caleif?"
A knock at the door. The knob turns. I cut the water and creep out, heart pounding.
Back in my room, I find Mira on my bed, face buried in my shirt, inhaling deeply with a satisfied moan.
"What the hell is she doing? And…are those my clothes?" I blurt out too loud. Mira's head snaps up seeing me stand there catching her in the act, her eyes go down slowly seeing that I'm100% naked, her cheeks go bright red, and she drops the shirt before sprinting away.
"Did she just…enjoy that?" I ask myself, drying off and changing.
I slid back under the covers and glanced at the door. "I swear I locked it, or maybe I didn't. I can't remember anymore. What a day," I muttered as my eyes fluttered shut and sleep pulled me under.
"Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened. He saw me, but it was so thrilling to get caught. And he was naked! I'm the luckiest woman alive," Mira thought to herself as she awkwardly danced around her room in triumph.
Mira eventually stopped and lay on her bed, closing her eyes with a happy sigh. "Caleif is so lucky to have a guy like him as her servant. What I wouldn't give to have him as mine," she mused, biting her knuckle as her mind raced with all sorts of ideas, some unsettling and others downright scandalous.
A loud thud came from the wall across the room. "Will you just go to sleep already and stop spying on people, Mira!" Caleif yelled, trying to catch some sleep so she could dream about Kamen. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone, especially not Kamen, who would never let her live it down.
I wake to the scent of sizzling bacon, warm pancakes, and something sweet I can't place. I
groan and roll over, half-asleep, wondering who's cooking this time. Maybe Caleif in her trademark apron—skin and all. I shift again and freeze. There's someone else in my bed.
Heart hammering, I inch forward, tugging the sheet down inch by inch. Underneath, lithe curves and reddish-gold hair spill across the pillow. "Oh Christ… It's Caleif. And she's… naked." I whisper to myself, but it comes out loud.
She stirs, flipping onto her back, and my jaw practically unhinges. A soft chime from my gauntlet buzzes in my sleeve; the pink gauge inside flicks up to eighty percent—Caleif's signature wake-up call. Her eyes flutter open, glassy with sleep. When they land on me, panic flashes across her face.
"W-what are you doing in my bed? I locked the door," she blurts, spotting the glowing gauge.
She curses under her breath: "Damn it, Elena. I told you to stop," as she looks around and notices that it's not her room, and somewhere deep in the mansion I swear I hear a distant shiver from Elena.
Clearing her throat, she scrambles for cover. "I swear, it wasn't me—Elena must've moved me here while we slept. Kamen? Hello?" She waves a hand in front of me; I can't look away from—well, you know.
Finally she sighs, grabs my face, and yanks me forward until I'm practically breathing her in. I snap out of it, flailing for air.
"Are you done gawking?" she laughs, half-annoyed.
I cough, lean back, and finally get some oxygen. "I was in heaven for, like, an eternity. Sorry… but why are you here? And nude?"
She blinks, like the thought just struck her. "Oh! I thought this was my room. Elena must have dragged me here last night—I was zonked." She taps her chin, looking guilty.
I sit up, still blinking. "Okay, but the naked thing—?"
She shrugs and grins. "I always sleep naked. It just… feels right." She stretches, arching her back, and I swear my face is on fire as I avert my eyes—though I catch a glimpse anyway. My nose starts to tickle. Romance, right?
"Uhhh…are you sure this isn't heaven?" I croak, heart slamming against my ribs as I stare at Caleif's silhouette beneath the sheets. I smack the gauntlet on my wrist, trying to shut down the buzzing in my veins. 'This stupid thing never misses an opportunity,' I think.
Caleif pushes the covers aside and rises, curves and all, like she was sculpted. "Time to get up," she says, voice low. "Your power isn't going to improve itself." She strolls into the adjoining bathroom, pauses in the doorway and winks. My chest tightens, and the gauntlet chimes again.
"Give it a rest, will you?" I mutter.
"It's just responding to your excitement," Estingtoh's calm voice echoes in my mind. "Try to dial it back."
"Maybe I should've gotten a gauntlet that isn't out to torture me," I grumble, swinging my legs over the bed. I stride down the hall toward the kitchen, pulling on my pants.
Inside, Mira stands at the stove wearing nothing but a thin apron. The morning light catches the steam rising from the pan, making her silhouette glow. My heart ratchets up another notch, and the gauntlet chimes.
She turns, catching me mid-step. "Morning, Kamen," she says, voice soft and teasing. She spins, the apron lifting at the hem and revealing more than it should. My vision tunnels, pulse pounding.
'Calm down,' I plead silently, sitting at the table. A plate piled with bacon and pancakes waits for me, strawberry syrup already dripping over the edges.
Mira hums as she carries another stack of hot cakes and sets them beside my plate. "You need your strength," she says, smiling. She winks, then licks her lips. My knees go weak.
'Not today,' I think desperately as Caleif's footsteps echo on the stairs.
Mira yanks off the apron and pulls on a blouse and pants, bending over to grab a towel from the counter to dry her hands, My head spins again.
"Oh god," I whisper—and then the gauntlet chimes one more time as blood wells from my nose. I lean back in my chair, trying not to pass out.
Just another normal morning, right?
"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" Caleif snapped from behind, arms crossed, irritation clear in her voice.
I cleared my throat and nodded. She stepped out, motioning me to follow. Together we descended into the training chamber. In the dim light, she squared her shoulders and offered me a tight smile.
"Today we're going to channel your power through the gauntlet," she said, rolling her neck and cracking her knuckles.
I banished the wandering thoughts and mirrored her stretches.
"Okay. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then reach inside your mind, find the gauntlet's energy, and pull a little of it toward you."
I shut my eyes and took a slow breath. After a few seconds a knot of doubt formed in my chest. I opened my eyes—and blackness swallowed everything.
"Caleif? Where are you?" I called, my voice echoing into the void.
A deep, familiar voice answered: "She's not here. And even if she were, she couldn't help you now."
"Estingoth?" I spun around. A towering figure materialized—muscles coiled beneath dark robes, long black hair framing a face carved from midnight. Regal, menacing.
My heart hammered. "So it really is you."
He regarded me coolly. "At last we meet face to face, Kamen. Yes, I am Estingoth."
I swallowed hard. "Did you look like that before you died?" His booming laugh rattled my bones.
"That's how many reacted in my day," he replied. "But I'm merely your guide. Follow the light. It will show you the way."
He stepped aside. I spotted a faint red glow ahead, like embers in the gloom. My skin crawled—but I had no choice. I walked toward it, the heat intensifying until it felt like my flesh would burn, yet I shivered as if chilled to the bone.
"This is insane," I muttered.
Estingoth appeared at my side. "Grab it, Kamen."
His tone brooked no argument. I extended my hand into the glow, each second roaring like a furnace. The moment my fingers touched it, the light yanked me in, and darkness swallowed my vision.
"This is such complete bullshit. It's always something with these people and this damn gauntlet. Am I ever going to get a normal day? That's all I want, but no, here I am, getting sucked into this energy orb from the gauntlet. You can't make this stuff up," I shout, frustration boiling over. The darkness feels endless until my eyes finally open, and I'm surrounded by figures—wait, these aren't people. They're demons...