Owned By The Demons

3

The moonlight shines brightly in the vast sky, which is adorned with stars that sparkle like diamonds. The cool breeze caresses every living creature that night. Nothing could be heard but crickets chirping, which sounded like a lovely song to the ear. Furthermore, fireflies fly freely and hug each petal and leaf that sways in the wind.

Because of its magical beauty, the entire place seemed enchanted.

Slow footsteps can be heard from a few distances. Seven-year-old Relina sobs as she says her parents' names. Her feet seemed to have no direction. She continued walking until she found herself in front of a very large tree.

The beads of tears that were flowing from her eyes subsided gradually. She gently wiped them away and then examined the tree's entire form, from bottom to top. She had never seen a tree so large, nearly as tall as a three-story mansion, in her entire life. Its massive roots have almost reached the surface of the ground. Numerous vines wrap around its body and reach the ends of its branches. Its leaves are barely visible due to the fireflies that encircle it like thick clouds. Relina suddenly remembered her grandfather telling her that the trees surrounded by many fireflies were the home of fairies and other creatures that our eyes couldn't see. However, instead of being terrified, her eyes were filled with wonder. She has the impression that there was something in this tree that suddenly dispelled her fear and replaced it with security.

She felt relieved in some way because, after several hours of walking, she finally found a place to rest. Her legs were trembling from exhaustion and numbness. She wiped her face again and walked slowly towards the tree, but a strong wind blew all around her before she could get close. She was fortunate that she was quick to grab one of the protruding roots, or she would have been blown away by the wind.

Relina slowly straightened her entire body. She had a small scratch on the right side of the upper portion of her eyebrow from a sharp branch, but she just pushed through the pain and got back on her feet when the tree was suddenly engulfed in penetrating light.

The light is so intense that Relina struggles to open her eyes. She soon heard large footsteps approaching from the penetrating light in her direction. She tried but was unable to open her eyes. The light gradually faded after a few minutes.

She slowly opened her eyes, she was confronted with a strange creature she had never seen before. He has a substantial build. His hair is white and hip-length. His ears resemble those of a dog. He was dressed in a red kimono that complemented his porcelain skin. His eyes are as blue as the deep blue sea, gleaming in the moonlight.

Slowly, the half-human half-dog took a step in Relina's direction. His feet were bare, but he was unconcerned about the massive roots he was trampling. His gaze was fixed on her. She appeared to be a statue due to her shock at the time.

When the half-human half-dog reached Relina, he bowed his body slightly. He then grabbed her hair, which was slightly protruding at the side of her ear, and brought it up close to his nose as if sniffing it. From the moment he saw her, he knew this child was mortal. Only now after fifty years has he smelled a mortal; with fragrance, reviving the blood of a demon. It was as if she was enticing him to try some of her blood.

"What is a mortal like you doing in this place? Don't you know that entering this territory is forbidden? Be thankful that you are not overwhelmed by the creatures roaming in the middle of the woods." The demon wolf smirked before slowly releasing Relina's hair.

"Those creatures love mortals because their blood and flesh are so fresh and tasty," he added as he looked at Relina's red, swollen eyes. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't see any fear in her eyes. Is this to say she isn't afraid of him?

"Go back to where you came from before they could smell you," he said as he straightened his stance and turned his back, but Relina spoke up before he could take a step.

"C-can you please help me find my way home? I'm lost in the woods and my mom and dad have been worried about me for a long time," Relina said, holding her chest.

"You don't know how you got in here? Are you kidding?" he exclaimed as he abruptly came to a halt.

Relina suddenly became speechless. She doesn't know how to explain everything that has happened to her. All she remembered was she found herself in the middle of the woods when she opened her eyes. She tried to call for help several times, but no one heard her except the insects and other animals present at the time. Fortunately, there were no stray wild animals nearby, or she might have died by now.

"Believe me, mister. Please, I beg you. Please help me find my way home," she said begging, tears welling up in her eyes.

The demon wolf faced Relina again, and his expression abruptly changed. He took another step in her direction without saying anything. When he got close to her, he gave her a sharp look before slowly raising his right hand to her level. He then tilted his head in the right direction.

"Aren't you afraid of someone like me, kid?" he asked, his nails suddenly growing longer. His blue eyes turned blood-red. His entire appearance was gradually changing, but instead of being terrified by what she was seeing, Relina suddenly embraced him.

"Please don't hurt me; I'll do whatever you want as long as you return me to my parents," Relina pleaded as she hugged him.

Something seemed to be playing in the demon wolf's mind after hearing what Relina said. It was so pleasant to hear every word she said, and it made his blood race even faster.

"Are you sure, kid, that you want to deal with someone like me? I'm just reminding you that in exchange for promising to take you back to your parents, I'm not going to ask you for anything lightly; are you ready to do anything I ask?"

Relina took her body away from her tight embrace and lifted her face to look at him.

"Yes, mister," she said, "I'm ready."

Relina awoke from a dream coldly sweating. She dreamed of that creature again. She stroked the right side of her neck. She couldn't figure out why, every time she dreamed of him, her neck ached, as if something had bitten her, causing so much pain and weakness throughout her body.

She then discovered herself in front of a very huge tree. Nobody could help but be in awe at its height and size when taking in its entire shape, but she is the complete opposite of how they feel because instead of being in awe, the fear in her chest grew stronger. Relina compelled herself to stand up despite the fear that gripped her entire body. She held onto her chest as she studied the tree's overall shape in front of her. She could not be mistaken—that tree was where she had encountered the demon wolf in her dream.

She slowly shifted in her direction. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw. The location in her dream even included the entire environment in front of her. Every gust of wind is accompanied by the enormous trees and their luxuriant foliage. The vast meadow looked like a tropical paradise because it was covered in stunning, vibrant flowers. Even the snow-white clouds surround the vast, blue sky.

Relina's dream contained everything her eyes saw and reached. It would have been nice to look at the inherent beauty of the entire environment, but it couldn't take away her extreme fear and apprehension for her safety. Safely and quietly observe everything she sees, but behind its natural beauty lurks a slew of creatures ready to attack her at any moment.

She wishes to believe that everything that is happening to her is a bad dream, but why does she feel this way? Why does his chest feel so tight with fear and anxiety?

The absence of the creature would have allowed Relina to leave, but she didn't know how or what she would do to leave this place even if they had already split up before they arrived.

Since she is an ordinary person, in contrast to the elements that inhabit this location, she is certain that she is in a different area of the dimension and will have a difficult time becoming trapped there. She had to put her security in God's hands until she could figure out how to escape this situation because if she made even one mistake, it would be the end of her life.

"It was good that you enjoyed looking around; isn't it wonderful to look at everything you see? You will see and achieve even more than that, Relina because from now on, you will be here to live in this place with me." Relina eyes widened as she heard these words.

She was taken aback. Her entire body trembled even more when she heard the demon wolf's voice from behind her. She assumed he went to another dimension, but she was mistaken. The faintest hope that she would be able to flee that place vanished like dust in a strong wind.

"Why are you suddenly stunned? Are you still afraid of me? Shouldn't you

be thankful that you're still alive? If I planned to hurt you, I should have done it earlier, "the demon wolf said as he walked in Relina's direction, but Relina bravely snatched the necklace from her pocket before he could get close. Relina's hand trembled as she faced the demon wolf with the necklace in her hand. She had no choice but to believe in whatever power and ability this necklace possessed.

Relina is convinced that this necklace will aid her in her fight against the demon wolf. She knew it would be difficult for her to overcome it because she lacked much of the necklace's power, but she would try to defend herself. She will do everything in her power, even if it means losing her life.

"Don't ever make the mistake of coming near me because I will make sure that you will never succeed in what you are planning against me. If you think I am afraid of someone like you, you are mistaken. Go on, try to come near me so you would know what I mean!" boldly said Relina to the demon wolf, but despite the courage, she had drawn from her chest her face and the trembling of her whole body could not hide the intense fear she felt.

Once he noticed the necklace Relina was holding, the demon wolf came to a halt. As soon as he saw it, he immediately displayed shock on his face. He couldn't possibly be mistaken; this is the necklace made of the sacred and potent stone of the Irudes, which was made specifically to provide resistance to various kinds of creatures.

There is only one person the demon wolf knows who owns the necklace, which has been handed down through the generations for a very long time. He stopped wondering about the reason why he and Relina had parted ways before they arrived at this location because it was due to the necklace's power. Why could he easily touch her if Relina already had this stone from earlier? Does it mean it is no longer able to adequately protect Margarette due to its diminished strength?

"Do you think I'll be scared of that thing?" the demon wolf smirked. "If you think that will save you against me and all the creatures that have roamed this place, you are mistaken because its power is not enough to protect you."

"Do you know that behind every tree you see in the woods are the creatures you will never want to meet on your way because you will have to deal with them? It only means that from the beginning before you came here, that thing was useless because it didn't protect you. So if I were you, it would be better for you to just bury your plan to flee this place in oblivion because it will only be difficult for you," the demon wolf added.

Relina started crying after hearing everything the demon wolf had told her.

Relina yelled, "That's not true! You're a liar! You just want me to see if I can use this necklace against you!" as she tightened her hold on the necklace.

Everything the demon wolf told Relina was false, in Relina's opinion. If this necklace couldn't shield her, her grandfather would never have given it to her. Her grandpa wasn't lying. It is true what he says about the power and abilities this necklace possesses. Most importantly, his grandfather loved her dearly and would never allow her to be in danger.

Yet why? Why is Relina experiencing this? Why does she think everything this creature said to her was true? Why did it allow this creature to take her to this dimension if the necklace she is holding had strength and power? Although she didn't want to, this was what the situation wanted to convey to her in terms of what was going on. What if it is true that it is powerless? What will she do next?