Your body is entering hibernation, the assistant message announced, but Sen had already lost consciousness. He could neither hear nor see the warning as his body shut down to preserve itself. While he lay dormant, his wounds began to heal themselves. His cells regenerated at an abnormal rate—approximately twice as fast as those of a normal human—but this accelerated healing came at a cost. His energy reserves had dropped to dangerously low levels, forcing his body into this protective state. Without hibernation, his system would simply consume what little energy remained, and he would die.
Sen's body sprawled across the ground, limbs akimbo in the tall grass. The field stretched out for miles in every direction, an ocean of green that rarely saw visitors. No one would stumble upon this remote place by accident, and no one had reason to come here deliberately.
A few hours later, a young girl who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen came running into the field. She wore a bright shirt paired with white pants and white shoes, her outfit catching the fading sunlight. She ran with purpose until she froze mid-stride, her eyes falling upon a body lying motionless on the ground.
She stared at the figure and stepped forward cautiously. Her red eyes gleamed in the sunlight as she approached, each step measured and careful. Bending down, she examined the body more closely. The wounds were healing—not so quickly that the change was immediately visible, but still faster than should be possible. And those eyes... even closed, there was something unusual about them.
"Is he part of the demon family?" she whispered to herself, her brow furrowing. "But I've never seen him before."
She turned his body over gently, revealing even more injuries. Cuts and gashes covered his back and sides, all of them slowly closing up. "Seems like you just got out of a big fight," she murmured, her voice tinged with concern. "Or maybe an animal attacked you."
She lifted the body with relative ease, her strength far outclassing that of any normal human. He wasn't particularly heavy, but not light either—somewhere in between. Cradling him carefully, she began to run. Her speed was extraordinary; at this pace, she could clear the entire field in under an hour.
She left the field behind and emerged onto a street. Night had fallen, and the world lay quiet around her. Everyone else would be asleep by now, which meant she could move undetected. She glanced around quickly, her eyes scanning every shadow and corner.
"All right, all clear," she said softly, continuing forward.
She approached what appeared to be a random stone pillar standing alone against a wall. Placing her hand on its surface, she watched as the wall opened to reveal a large, sprawling mansion beyond. She stepped through, and the wall closed silently behind her.
Guards spotted her immediately. They raised their weapons and clenched their fists, ready for combat, until they recognized her as one of the demon family members. They quickly lowered their defenses.
"Welcome, Kylie," one guard said with a respectful nod.
Kylie waved absently as she continued walking, her mind focused on the unconscious boy in her arms. She passed through another door that opened into a gigantic, sprawling room. The space was impressively wide, with another door at the far end. She crossed the room and opened that door, revealing a long hallway lined with rooms on each side, their numbers illuminated in soft light.
She headed toward room 408—her room—but someone stopped her before she could reach it.
She turned around to find her older brother standing there. He had black hair, crimson eyes, and wore all black: shirt, pants, and shoes. His expression was neutral at first, but then his face fell as realization dawned.
"You brought someone in?" His voice carried a note of disbelief mixed with concern. "You know Dad's going to be furious. You're breaking our rules—the fifth rule specifically. We don't invite outsiders unless they're direct disciples chosen by Father himself." He pointed at the body in Kylie's arms, his eyes narrowing. "Who is this?"
Kylie's heart sank. She had worried this would happen, feared that her annoying older brother would discover her secret and report it to their father.
"Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. Desperation crept into her tone. "If you don't tell anyone, I'll give you my entire supply of demon books for a whole week."
Her older brother, Dice, smiled slowly. "Your supply of demon books, you say? Are they demon skill books?"
"Yes, they are," Kylie confirmed quickly. She had accumulated quite a collection in her room over the years.
"Tell me more," Dice said, his interest clearly piqued.
"I'll keep this a secret if you supply me with two demon books a week," he proposed, his smile widening into a smirk. "I won't tell anyone. But just because I'll keep this secret doesn't mean others will, so don't get caught. Understood?" He gave her a knowing look before turning toward his room, number 401.
Dice walked into his room and sat down on his bed, already contemplating what skills he could learn from these demon skill books. Meanwhile, Kylie hurried into room 408, closing the door firmly behind her.
Her room was lined with large shelves that stretched along the walls. They held nothing but demon skill books and other learning materials she had collected over time. She looked down at the unconscious boy in her arms, uncertainty washing over her.
"Now what do I do with you?" she murmured.
The wounds, scratches, and cuts continued to close. By now, at least twenty percent of them had healed completely. She contemplated her options, her mind racing through possibilities.
Her eyes fell on a patch on the floor near the corner of her room. "Maybe this will work," she said to herself.
She pushed the patch open, and a large tube emerged from the hidden compartment. The tube was red in color, one of her own inventions. "You should stay in here for a little while," she said, carefully positioning the body. "At least until I figure out what to do with you. And if I'm right, I added a new invisibility feature. I just have to find it."
She searched through dozens of buttons on the tube's control panel until she finally located the right one. Quickly, she opened the door, placed the body inside with gentle care, and closed it. She pressed the invisibility button, and the entire tube vanished from sight.
"There," she said with satisfaction. "That'll be good for now."
Kylie smiled, looking at where the tube stood invisible. "Whoever you are," she said softly, her voice carrying a note of hope, "I hope we can become friends."
She could still see the tube even though it was invisible—after all, she had created it, and the inventor always retained the ability to perceive their own work. She had hidden all of her demon-like inventions from the rest of the family in multiple patches throughout the floor. Her family focused solely on combat and growing stronger; they wouldn't approve of her making inventions. They would likely cast her out, banish her to the depths of the streets if they discovered her secret pursuits. She didn't want that fate, but she also couldn't give up creating her inventions. So she had decided to create multiple hidden patches in the ground to conceal all of her work. No one had found out yet, and she intended to keep it that way.
Lying back on her bed, she closed her eyes, exhaustion finally catching up with her. "Whatever tomorrow brings," she whispered into the darkness, "I hope it's enjoyable
She settled back against her pillow, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders. Her muscles relaxed one by one as she sank deeper into the mattress. A soft sigh escaped her lips. The familiar comfort of her bed wrapped around her like an embrace, and she let her thoughts drift, becoming hazier with each passing moment. Her eyelids grew heavy, fluttering once, twice, before finally closing. Within minutes, sleep claimed her, pulling her gently into its quiet depths.