OLD HABITS
1291 Words
“What is this? A torture device?” Kael asked, holding up Andrea’s eyelash curler and turning it over in his hands to examine it closely.
“It’s not!” Andrea giggled, reaching out to take it from him. “It’s an eyelash curler, Kael. Watch.”
She demonstrated how it worked, clamping it gently onto her lashes and releasing it to show the effect.
He nodded, a faint look of amusement crossing his face as he understood.
Next, she applied her lipstick, combed her hair, and slung her bag over her shoulder before giving herself one last quick check in the mirror.
“Let’s go,” she said, then reached for his hand to drag him toward the front door.
Kael gently brushed her hand away. “I’m not going.”
She grabbed his hand again, firmer this time. “Come on, I want to show you the mall.” She paused, and a playful idea popped into her head. “Besides… you might find some good things there.”
A flicker of curiosity appeared in his amber eyes. “Fine. If you insist.”
That was cute, Andrea thought to herself, smiling.
And so, they made their way to the mall. As soon as they stepped inside, cool air‑conditioned air wrapped around them, along with the hum of crowds, soft background music, and the bright glow of lights and colorful store signs.
Kael looked around slowly, taking in every detail. The moving escalators, the hanging banners, the busy food court, and the endless rows of shops. To anyone else, he looked like a tourist marveling at modern life. But Andrea noticed something different: his attention was already drifting toward one specific area.
They walked past clothing stores, shoe shops, and cafes, and Kael followed along until they reached the jewelry section.
The moment they stepped near the glass display cases. His usual calm expression shifted. His amber eyes widened slightly, fixed on the necklaces, rings, bracelets, and gemstones laid out under bright lights. For a split second, the six‑pointed star in his irises spun faster, glowing faintly, as if reacting to something ancient inside him.
He took a slow step closer, leaning forward just enough to see better. His gaze was intense not greedy in a scary way, but hungry, fascinated, and utterly captivated.
Andrea noticed immediately. “Pretty, right?” she teased. “Let’s take a closer look.”
“Such… brilliant things,” he murmured, his voice lower than usual, almost reverent. “They are made to be kept, cherished, owned.”
Andrea laughed, pointing at the display. “Right? They’re so beautiful! Look at that diamond ring it’s so shiny, it looks like it catches the whole sun!”
Kael’s eyes locked onto that very ring. A thin, delicate band holding a clear, sparkling stone that seemed to glow from within. Andrea watched as he lifted one hand, fingers hovering just an inch above the glass, as if he could feel the stone’s energy through it.
“You really like shiny stuff, huh?” she nudged his arm playfully. “Didn’t think ancient demons were into jewelry.”
Kael turned to look at her, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to glow a little brighter. “It is not just liking. It is securing what is good.”
Securing what is good, Andrea thought. It sounded noble, but there was an undercurrent of something stronger, a quiet need to have it, to keep it, to make sure it never left his sight. She noticed it, but brushed it off as just another one of his strange habits.
“What about this one?” she asked, pointing to another case. “The emerald earrings? It’s so deep and rich in color!”
Kael’s gaze flicked to it for only a second before snapping right back to the diamond ring. “That one is fine… but this one is perfect. It calls to be taken.”
Before Andrea could say anything else, Kael stepped toward the counter. The saleslady looked up with a professional smile.
“Good afternoon, sir. Would you like to see that ring?”
“I would,” Kael said simply.
As she unlocked the case and set the ring on a velvet pad, Kael leaned in. He didn’t touch it yet first, he breathed in slowly, as if tasting its essence. A faint, almost invisible shimmer drifted from the stone and brushed against his skin. His shoulders relaxed, and a look of deep satisfaction settled on his face.
Andrea’s eyes went wide. “Kael, wait — that’s expensive! You don’t have Philippine money, remember?”
Kael turned to her with a calm, confident smile. “I am sure they will accept this.”
Before she could protest further, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small, heavy gold coin older than any currency in the world, stamped with intricate symbols that looked like ancient runes. It glowed faintly with warm, steady energy.
He placed it gently on the counter. “This holds far more value than whatever price you have marked. It is pure gold, untouched by time, and carries no debt. It is enough worth to satisfy both sides.”
The saleslady picked it up to examine it, and her eyes went wide instantly. She turned it over, weighing it in her palm, then ran a small testing tool along its edge- the kind used to check purity. Her jaw dropped.
“M‑ma’am… sir… this is…” she stammered, looking up at him in disbelief. “This is solid 24‑karat gold. The weight alone… it’s worth at least three times the price of this ring! Probably more! And these markings… I’ve never seen anything like them!”
Kael tilted his head, a faint, satisfied glint appearing in his eyes. “Three times the worth, you say?”
“Y‑yes! Easily!”
“Then it is only right I receive value equal to what I gave,” Kael said simply, as if stating a universal law.
Before she could fully react, he gestured smoothly toward the display case. “Since this coin covers far more than just that one piece… I will also take that silver bracelet with the blue stones, and that pair of emerald earrings there.”
The clerk blinked, then quickly nodded, too stunned to argue. “O‑of course! That is… that is more than fair!”
She hurried to take out the bracelet and earrings, wrapping them carefully in soft tissue and boxes.
Andrea stood there, watching with amusement. Of course he’d do that! she thought.
The lady reached for the ring box, but Kael stopped her gently. “There’s no need to wrap it. I will wear it now.”
As soon as Kael’s fingers closed around the band, Andrea saw that same faint glow pass between his hand and the stone. He didn’t just hold it, it felt as though he was binding it to himself, sealing it as his own, forever.
Andrea stared, half‑amused and half‑awed. “You really did it. I wish I could just buy whatever I want like that!”
Kael handed her the box with the bracelet. “Wear it. It suits you.”
“I love it! It’s so pretty!” She beamed, throwing her arms around him in a happy hug. “Thank you.”
Kael gave her a small, rare smile, but his eyes were already shining with the quiet satisfaction of having secured something precious.
She didn’t know it yet, but she had just watched him act out the very essence of his true nature..
- Writer
