"Uh…how long did I sleep…" Remy mumbled as he got up with a lazy look and looked at his watch while his vision slowly cleared up.
"Crap, I overslept!" Remy's eyes widened upon seeing that it was past 6 PM!
Within few days, Isabella will be going to the Hunter Academy along with that foul-hearted Tristan. He had to find some way to stop him from hurting her.
He felt his chest ache, knowing that he was trapped by Tristan and his father. But even if the worst happens to him, he doesn't want anything bad to happen to Isabella.
But what can he do?
'Maybe I should just talk to her directly and make her understand?' Remy suddenly had this idea pop into his mind and mumbled, "Yeah…maybe she will then understand and avoid Tristan."
Asher inwardly smiled, seeing how his 'whisper' perfectly blended into Remy's thoughts. He was doubtful, but now he felt he got the knack for this. All he had to do was make sure his 'whisper' didn't deviate too much from Remy's usual thinking.
Right now, he was present in Remy's subconscious after using his watch as a gate to enter his mind.
Now all he had to do was guide Remy to get what he wanted.
"Remy, what are you mumbling about? I brought you some cookies and water after seeing you sleep with such a tired face," An old woman's frail voice came from the side as Remy saw his grandmother slowly limping towards him.
Asher saw that it was Remy's grandmother, Grace.
"Grandma! What are you doing instead of resting? Your leg has yet to heal after falling down last week," Remy chided as he picked up the tray from her hand and then gently let her sit down on the couch.
Grace clicked her tongue as she said, "This is nothing. I have suffered worse injuries just like that one time where I—"
"Grandma, I know all your Hunter exploits by heart, and I know you are tough. But for my mental peace, you have to rest. Your mana circuit isn't young like in the past," Remy said with a sigh while chewing on some cookies to let his grandma feel satisfied.
Even though his grandma was full of spirit, he knew her health was as bad as it could get. Without the right treatment, she will only get worse soon. Unfortunately, he would have to depend on Tristan's father again to get the money he needs since he was chained to his guild.
Remy had never felt so frustrated and angry in his life and wished he could turn back time.
"What's with the sour face, my boy? Girl troubles, or is it something else?" Grace asked with a grin, though her eyebrows pulled together upon noticing his gaunt expression.
Remy collected himself as he didn't want to worry his grandmother and said with a reassuring smile, "It's nothing, grandma. I was just thinking about some quests. I have to go now to meet up with my friends, but I will be back soon."
Grace hummed and said, "Hmm, just one thing, my boy," Grace said, making Remy turn around and look at her.
"You know that no matter what happens, I will be here to support you, right? I may be weak now, but I can still protect your heart from any demons that might want to prey on your weaknesses," Grace said with a light smile.
Remy's eyes became warm, and he softly smiled as he said, "I know, grandma. But you don't have to worry. I will be fine."
…
Remy's hands were subtly shaking as he rang the doorbell of Isabella's house. He had been dreading this conversation, but he knew that he needed to talk to her.
The door opened, and he saw a stunning young woman. She had a delicate jawline and high cheekbones while her long black hair fell in soft waves over her back. No matter whenever he saw her, she carried herself with quiet confidence while radiating a natural beauty that drew people in.
Isabella looked at him with a warm smile. However, her expression turned to concern as she saw the anxious look on his face, "Hey, Remy, is everything alright?" Isabella asked as she gestured for him to come inside.
Remy followed her into the living room but didn't feel like sitting down and instead faced Isabella, who still was looking at him with worry.
"Is everything okay, Remy? You seem a bit out of it," She asked again.
Remy took a deep breath before he began to speak, "Isabella, I need to talk to you about Tristan."
Isabella's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Tristan? What about him?"
Remy fidgeted with his hands, "I don't think he's the person we thought he was. I-I think he's planning to take advantage of you."
Isabella's expression turned from confusion to disbelief, "What are you talking about, Remy? Tristan has been nothing but kind to me and you. He even helped me get into the Hunter Academy, which has been something I have been dreaming of since I was 6 years old. You know that, right?"
Remy's eyes pleaded with her to believe him, "Isabella, please. I know how this sounds, but I have a bad feeling about him. He will hurt you in the future even if he seems nice now."
Isabella shook her head with a slight grimace, "I can't believe you are saying these things, Remy. Tristan is our friend. How can you badmouth him like this behind his back? Where is all this even coming from?"
Remy felt his heart sink. He didn't have any proof. But he thought that his childhood friend would believe him, but now he felt like he expected wrong.
"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Tristan, but you can't keep causing trouble for him like earlier," Isabella said with a difficult look.
Remy frowned as he asked, "What trouble are you talking about?"
Isabella sighed as she said, "Tristan had called me earlier, and he sounded very sad and disappointed. He said you slapped him in front of his friends and abused him when he lightly mentioned the loan you took from his father. So he told me to talk to you and that he is willing to forgive—"
"Wait! Wait…do you seriously believe all the nonsense he said and picking his side?" Remy asked as he felt his heart sink further and added, "I don't have any proof, Isabella. But he has been using me all along, and he will do the same to you."
Isabella sighed and looked away, looking as if she was torn, and said, "I am not picking anyone's side, Remy and I didn't fully believe what Tristan said to me earlier. But now, after seeing you like this and telling me these things about Tristan to me, how can I believe you without knowing what is really going on? It seems like you are still hiding something from me."
Remy clenched his fists, realizing that there was no convincing her even if he told how Tristan talked about her to his friends. She will just think he was getting desperate to slander him like that.
Isabella grabbed Remy's hand and said, "I don't know what to do, Remy. I just want you two to work this out and stop this before it gets out of hand. I don't like you two getting upset at each other. I just want things to go back to normal."
Remy stood silently as he felt a sense of resignation wash over him, realizing that he couldn't change her mind.
"I hope one day you will see the truth," He quietly said as he walked away, feeling dejected and defeated.
"Remy…" Isabella softly called out but didn't say anything more. She felt torn and confused, but she felt that those two would figure it out. She sighed and picked up her book, trying to distract herself from what had just happened.
Remy was walking back to his house with a blank face, feeling depressed. But suddenly, a thought popped into his head, 'It's all because of Tristan. Only if I could get rid of him, then I can save Isabella before it's too late.'
"No…What am I thinking?" Remy grimaced as he ruffled his hair, thinking that he should get some rest lest he develop more absurd ideas.
Asher wasn't surprised to see Remy ignoring his 'idea,' but he realized he had to take a break now and consult Duncan about something before he proceeded further.
And so Asher slipped out of Remy's body and floated towards a nearby house that had kids. He made sure it was just a house with manaless people and easily possessed a doll in the house.
'It feels weird being in a doll…' Asher inwardly mumbled as he felt so small and tiny while tiptoeing to the roof of the house.
He knew demons mostly loved to possess dolls or any object with limbs because it was the only way they could draw runes and send their spirit back to their dimension.
And since kids are unsuspecting and weak, it was easier to possess a doll that belonged to them.
This was the main reason horror movies revolved around dolls and kids.
Not long after, Asher completed the rune circle and called upon the power of the Devils to send him back.
[ 50 Life Crystals Utilized ]
'And that's it for today. Sleep tight, Remy. I will be back soon to help you out,' Asher mumbled as he felt his spirit leaving this dimension.
