"Hmmph…" Erlen groaned in his sleep, face buried deep into the soft pillow. His long black hair, still messy from yesterday, covered half his face.
"Get up, you lazy bum! You've been asleep since yesterday evening!" Leora's voice echoed through the penthouse as she stormed into his room, throwing open the curtains. Bright morning light invaded the room, burning through the peaceful shadows.
Erlen squinted. "Ugh… what… wait…" He blinked twice, looking around in confusion. "Did we perhaps… I mean—do we go to university or something?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to remember what day it was.
Leora smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "No, Mr. Genius. I dropped out of college and now live freely on my uncle's money! Boohoo!" she said mockingly, hands on her hips.
"Yeah, yeah… whatever. Now get out of my room. I'm gonna change," he muttered, stretching lazily.
"Okay, Mr. Handsome~" she teased before walking out, a playful grin still on her face.
Erlen sighed. Living with Leora had become… chaotic, to say the least. Between her sarcasm, her loud gaming at 2 a.m., and her constant teasing, peace was something he hadn't experienced in a while. Yet… it wasn't bad.
A couple of hours passed. Erlen finally left his room, dressed sharply as always. Black pants, a white button-up half-tucked in, sleeves rolled to his elbows — his casual look somehow always turned into something straight out of a magazine. Fashion was one of his few non-combat obsessions.
Just as he poured himself a cup of coffee, a knock came at the door.
Knock. Knock.
Leora paused her show and glanced at the door. "I'll get it," she said, tossing the remote aside and opening it. A tall man in a dark suit stood there, expression unreadable.
"Ma'am, President Rimon sent me. I have a delivery for Mr. Erlen."
Leora tilted her head. "And what is it exactly?"
"I can't say, miss. I'm under strict orders to hand it to him directly."
"Ugh, fine. Wait here." She turned back inside, rolling her eyes. "Erlen! Come here!"
"Coming!" he replied, walking over casually, his cup still in hand.
When the man saw Erlen, he gave a respectful nod. "Mr. Erlen. President Rimon asked me to deliver this personally." He handed over a long, sealed box — pitch black, faintly glowing with red markings.
Erlen's expression shifted. He didn't even need to open it to know what it was. "Hmm… a forbidden sword. Is this the one I requested from Rimon?"
The man looked mildly impressed. "Yes. The President said you'd understand immediately. Here — it's yours now."
"Alright, you can leave," Erlen said, waving him off.
The moment the door closed, Leora's curiosity got the better of her. "What's that now?" she asked, stepping closer.
"It's something dangerous. Don't touch it."
"Relax, I just wanna see—" she said, reaching out.
But the instant her fingers grazed the surface of the box… the temperature in the room dropped sharply. The air grew heavy. Her body trembled as her pupils dilated unnaturally.
"Leora!" Erlen shouted — but before he could move, she let out a chilling scream and leapt at him, her body twisting unnaturally fast.
Her movements were feral, unnatural — something was controlling her. Erlen instantly activated his sixth sense. Time slowed in his perception; he dodged her claw-like swipes with ease, his body moving instinctively.
"Hey! Get a hold of yourself!" he said, sidestepping her every strike. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
Leora didn't respond — instead, her head tilted at an unnatural angle, and a distorted, guttural laugh escaped her throat. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, she lunged again — this time faster.
Erlen moved like lightning, catching her wrist and flipping her, pinning her to the floor without hurting her. "Snap out of it, Leora!"
For a moment, she froze — then her eyes turned completely black, and before Erlen could react, she pulled him closer and bit his lower lip.
"Oi—what the—stop!" he said, startled.
It wasn't pain — he couldn't even feel pain anymore at his level — but the act itself was shocking. Then, just as suddenly, her body went limp.
Something… black and oily began oozing from her mouth. It floated upward, twisting and shaping into a grotesque form — a demon. Its body was half smoke, half flesh, and its face was a blur of shifting eyes.
"So, that's what you are…" Erlen muttered coldly, cracking his neck.
The demon hissed, attempting to flee through the walls — but it couldn't. Erlen's aura flared, the black mana from his core forming a crushing field of pressure. The air warped.
"You think you can touch her and get away with it?" he said, his voice deep and steady. "Say it. Where are you from?"
The demon's head twitched. It couldn't answer. Its mouth opened, but only static-like shrieks came out.
Erlen's patience ran out. "Fine." His eyes turned pitch-black as his mana spiked. "Disappear."
The sheer pressure around him crushed the demon midair — its body disintegrated, fading into ash and black mist. The penthouse went quiet.
Erlen sighed, brushing the dust off his shoulder. "Tch. You just had to touch the box, didn't you, dummy…"
He looked at Leora — unconscious, lying on the bed. Her face was pale, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead. Despite everything, she looked peaceful.
He sat beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine now."
Hours passed before Leora's eyes finally fluttered open. Sunlight had shifted; it was evening now. She blinked a few times, dazed.
"Wha… what happened…?" she whispered, her voice soft.
"You… went a little crazy," Erlen said with a small smile, leaning back in his chair.
Her eyes widened as flashes of memory came back — her reaching for the sword, losing control, attacking him, and then… biting him.
She sat up abruptly, covering her face with both hands. "I—I did that!?"
"Yep," Erlen replied flatly. "Though, gotta admit — you've got a strong bite."
"Erlen!" she shouted, her face turning bright red.
He smirked. "Relax. I'm just glad you're okay."
She peeked between her fingers, seeing his relaxed grin — and despite the embarrassment, a small smile formed on her lips too.
"Next time," he added, standing up, "maybe listen when I say don't touch mysterious cursed items, yeah?"
She pouted. "Fine…"
Erlen walked toward the sealed sword box, picking it up and holding it in his hand. The markings still pulsed faintly, whispering with energy only he could sense.
"Whatever's inside you…" he muttered quietly, "you'll be mine soon enough."
Leora sat there, still covering her face, watching him with mixed feelings — relief, embarrassment, and something else she didn't quite understand.
And for the first time since moving in together, she realized something.
Even when chaos followed him like a shadow — somehow, she felt safer when he was there.