When I agreed to go talk to some demon serial killer, I didn't realize that agreement included walking eight miles to a demon party in the middle of the night.
"Can't we get a cab or something?" I whined, dragging my feet across the cracked tiled road. "My legs hurt."
"No cabs," Kora said flatly, not even turning around.
"We're almost there," Vic said, far too confidently.
"That's what you said an hour ago," Krin muttered from behind us. "At this point, almost feels like a personal insult."
Minutes later.... long, miserable, soul-draining minutes, we stopped in front of a motel that looked like it had died sometime in the seventies and refused to stay buried.
The building sagged inward, its wooden walls warped and splintered, as if the place was holding itself together out of pure spite. Above it hung a crooked sign buzzing weakly in neon green:
LA BENCH
The light flickered like it was struggling to stay alive.
I stared at the motel, disgust curling in my stomach.
This was the place?
"Let me guess," I said dryly. "The Bench Motel."
"Yep," Vic nodded. "Stay close to me. Try not to draw attention."
"Especially you, human," Kora added, pointing at Krin.
Krin swallowed hard.
We stepped onto the porch, and Vic knocked twice. The door slid open just enough for a single enormous green eye to peer out at us.
"Private party," a raspy, ancient voice growled from the darkness.
Kora raised a small, thick green card. "We've got an invitation."
The slot slammed shut. A heavy lock clicked, then the door creaked open.
"Have fun," the voice said, like it was a threat.
The door shut behind us with a solid thud, sealing us inside. The smell hit me first, smoke, sulfur, alcohol, and something metallic I didn't want to identify. Then the noise: bass pounding through the walls, laughter that sounded a little too sharp.
I got to admit, the inside looked nothing like the outside. Red lights flashed across the room, casting twisted shadows over bodies that were definitely not human. Horns, tails, glowing eyes, claws tapping against the floor, demons packed the place like it was the hottest club in hell.
"Wow," Krin breathed. "I've never seen so many demons in one place before."
"I don't think I've ever met any demons," I said, watching a pair argue with literal flames coming out of their mouths, "apart from Dad. And you guys. And… whatever that is."
Something with too many teeth grinned back at me.
I sighed.
Great!
Eight miles of walking, zero cabs, and now I was trapped in a demon nightclub. This night was already going beautifully.
"So where is symbol guy?" I asked nugging at Vic, I was already starting to get uncomfortable and needed to get the hell outta here like... real fast.
"This way," Vic said, slipping into the crowd.
We followed as he pushed through bodies, horned, clawed, scaled bodies until the noise dulled and the lights shifted darker. The air grew thicker, heavier, like it didn't want us breathing it.
Ahead of us was the Red Room.
A massive black curtain marked the entrance, swallowing light like a void. Two one-eyed demons stood guard, huge, broad, and built like walking prison walls. Their single eyes glowed faintly, tracking every movement.
We barely took two steps forward before one of them blocked our path.
"VIP only," the demon growled, voice deep enough to vibrate my bones.
Vic calmly pulled out a small red card and held it up. The demons took it, inspecting it far too closely, tilting it, sniffing it, even tapping it like it might scream if fake. I half expected them to arrest us on the spot.
Finally, they handed it back and drew the curtains aside.
As we passed, their gazes lingered on us, slow and suspicious, the kind of look cops give when they know you've got something illegal but haven't figured out where you hid it yet.
The curtain fell shut behind us. The Red Room was… red, blood red. The walls, the lights, the air, it all felt soaked in it. The lighting was so intense it blurred edges and swallowed shadows, making everything feel unreal, like we'd stepped into the inside of a living wound.
My eyes were still adjusting when something at the far end of the room caught my attention.
A banner hung high on the wall, the symbol painted in thick, bold crimson, fresh enough to look wet. Beneath it sat a man in his late twenties, lounging on a plush, fur-covered couch like he owned the place.
Two half-naked demons were draped lazily against him, claws tracing his arms, eyes glowing with mischief and hunger.
He looked relaxed, like a predator who knew nothing in the room could touch him.
My stomach tightened. So this is him, I thought. The demon serial killer. And judging by that smug posture, he'd been expecting us.
"Lakora, Lakora," he smirked, pouring himself a glass of fresh human blood. The liquid glistened thickly as it filled the crystal cup. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"It's Kora," she snapped. "And I think this belongs to you." She tossed the picture at his feet.
He glanced down once then burst out laughing, sitting upright as the girls clung to him like he was a drug they couldn't quit.
"What is this?" he asked lazily, brushing his short brown hair aside. The movement exposed his dark red eyes and the symbol tattooed just beside them.
"We know you're the one who killed those girls at Northveil University," Vic said.
The man relaxed again, unfazed. "Can't a guy enjoy breakfast in peace?"
"That was reckless and stupid," Kora barked. "Now the Bossa Nova are onto us."
The girls gasped and pulled away from him, staring wide-eyed. He only smiled, gently pulling them back into his arms.
"I'd love to see them try."
"They have a device," I blurted. "One that detects demon presence."
The room went still. He paused and then looked at me.
I froze.
Why did I say that?
He stood and crossed the room in slow, deliberate steps before gripping my chin, tilting my face up to his.
"Hm…" he murmured. "A half-demon."
My stomach dropped.
He circled me, studying me like a rare artifact. "Seems you've finally found another halfline like you."
Half-demon? What?!
Dad never mentioned anything like that.
"So this device," he said dismissively, returning to his seat, "is supposed to scare me?" He scoffed. "I don't care what new toys they invent. I'm a demon. Nothing changes that. So I might as well live to my full potential."
"But you're putting all of us at risk," Kora said sharply.
He sneered. "What do you want me to do, sweetheart, starve?"
The girls giggled as he wrapped an arm around them again.
That was it. There was no convincing him. I nudged Vic subtly. We need to leave.
The air felt thinner now. Krin was struggling, his breathing shallow, uneven. He kept his hood low, face hidden, trying not to draw attention, but I could tell he was barely holding it together.
"Could you at least stop leaving your logo on your victims?" Vic said carefully. "It makes tracking you easier."
The demon smiled. "But every serial killer needs a signature."
"Jason," Kora warned, her voice low, dangerous.
Jason? That doesn't seem like a name a demon would answer.
He sighed theatrically. "Fine. I promise."
We turned to leave.
Then one of the girls stiffened, nostrils flaring.
"I smell flesh," she whispered.
The room went silent. I knew, we weren't leaving quietly.
"Stop!"
Jason roared before we could take another step. His voice cut through the music, echoing as he rose abruptly, sniffing the air.
My heart caught in my throat. He can't know about Krin.
As he inhaled again, I saw his nails begin to elongate, slow and deliberate. His body stiffened as the transformation crept in. His face flushed, twisted with hunger… or something worse.
We were done for.
Krin tightened his grip around me. He was scared. I could feel it. If he dies now… would he reincarnate?
"Let's get outta here," he whispered, nudging me gently.
Then his eyes locked with Jason's. For a split second, everything froze. Sweat trickled down Krin's face. A sudden force ripped the hoodie from his head, sending it sliding across the floor.
"Human!" Jason snarled, pointing straight at him.
Every head turned in our direction.
…
It's kind of funny. A few years ago, if you'd told me demons existed, real demons, Lucifer's minions like Dad described, I would've laughed in your face.
Dad told us stories all the time. Big horns, glowing eyes, fangs, claws. I thought they were myths, exaggerations. I never once thought I'd stand in a room full of them, actual demons.
Horned figures surrounded us, their presence suffocating. And for some reason, I could feel Mum's distress as if it were my own. Her panic seeped into my chest. Her heavy breathing echoed in my ears.
This can't be how I end… not again.
The thought repeated over and over, so loud it felt like mine.
I didn't blame her. Her first death had been an accident, triggered the moment she discovered the man she'd been married to for over ten years was a demon.
And now? Now she was about to be eaten by one.
"Jason, fight it. He's not the enemy," Kora said, stepping in front of Krin, shielding him as Jason advanced.
"No," Jason replied calmly, smiling as his sharp fangs slid into view.
"He's not the enemy." He leaned closer. "He's food."
"Let's get outta here," Vic whispered beside me.
I swallowed hard.
How the hell were we supposed to do that… when we were surrounded by bloodthirsty demons?
The room erupted. Jason lunged.
Kora barely had time to shove Krin back before Vic yanked my arm, dragging me sideways as something slammed into the space we'd been standing in seconds ago. Glass shattered. Screams tore through the air. The music cut out completely, replaced by growls and the thud of bodies colliding.
"MOVE!" Vic yelled.
Demons surged forward, horns scraping the ceiling, eyes glowing as instinct took over.
Krin stumbled, nearly falling, and my heart stopped.
I grabbed his wrist. "Don't let go!"
"I won't," he said, but his voice shook.
Jason roared again, louder this time, the sound vibrating through my bones. His form was almost unrecognizable now, shadows clinging to him like armor as he tore through the crowd, clearing a path straight toward us.
"He's coming for you," Kora shouted, blocking another demon with her body. "RUN!"
We ran.
Chairs toppled. Tables flipped. Someone screamed my name, but I didn't look back. I couldn't. My legs burned as we pushed through the chaos, demons fighting demons, us scrambling for exits that suddenly felt miles away.
We burst out of the VIP, and somehow the main hall was still alive, pulsing with lights and sound, like nothing had happened. Music blared. Laughter rang out. Demons danced and drank, oblivious. We didn't waste the miracle.
Holding hands, we slipped into the crowd, weaving between bodies slick with sweat and smoke, keeping close so none of us got left behind. My fingers dug into Krin's hand as if letting go would doom us both.
Then the air shifted. A violent force tore through the smoke behind us.
Jason emerged from the debris, eyes locked on Krin like a predator who'd already decided the hunt was over.
"There you are," he growled charging towards us.
Demons were flung aside as he cut through the crowd, horns and bodies crashing to the floor in his wake. Screams replaced laughter. The music stuttered, then faltered.
"Krin, don't look back," I whispered, pulling harder.
Jason was closing in, fast, his presence alone sending waves of fear through the room. Every instinct in me screamed that if he reached us, it would be over.
"We're not gonna make it," Kora said breathlessly.
"No," I said, heart pounding. "We have to."
The exit lights flickered ahead of us, just beyond the chaos.
Jason roared again, he was almost on us. I felt his presence right at my back, hot and suffocating, his growl vibrating through the floor as his fingers brushed the air where Krin had been a second earlier.
"NOW!" Vic shouted.
We lunged forward just as Kora slammed her palm against the emergency door. It burst open, cold night air rushing in like a lifeline. Krin yanked me through, and we spilled outside in a tangle of limbs and gasping breaths.
The door slammed shut behind us but we didn't stay by, we kept running until we were near the school because we paused to caught our breaths.
"We almost died," I whispered grabbing Krin by the hands, I didn't know what I'd do if I had to lose my mum again.
"But we didn't ?" Kora said helping Vic up as we all went back to our hostels.