The Demon's Return

by Selva, SK

  Veeran knew then that it was time to stop asking questions. That conversation changed the way he looked at life as he vowed to take care of his grandmother from then on. He walked over to her and hugged her.

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. He had felt a tear fall from her face onto his as they embraced tightly back then.

  “You almost rode past me, dude!” shouted a voice, bringing Veeran out of his daydream.

  A portly and happy person waved him down. Veeran turned and waved back at his mate Kathir.

  “Catch up!” he shouted.

  Kathir got on his bike and rode after his long-time friend. They raced through the streets on their way to meet up with the rest of the group. A full day of sports and relaxing was ahead of them.

  Just what I needed, thought Veeran, grinning broadly.

  *

  Roshna had grown accustomed to her quiet life in the human world. Even though her time in Ilemuria was short, it would always be home. How she yearned to spend the rest of her days there, but she knew that was not possible. The land was as living a creature as her or the other clan members and as such needed time to replenish its energy and magic.

  She had just finished talking to a delightful young woman and had sat down in a nearby coffee shop. At first, the girl had been amazed and extremely skeptical to know that her ancestry contained the gene of a mythical creature, but when Roshna had revealed her proof, she had no choice but to believe.

  No matter how many different young people she told about the creature world and its wonders, she would always cherish the look of astonishment on their faces. It filled her with a great sense of pride to see them adapt to Ilemuria so quickly, and some had even gone on to become her best competitors in the games.

  “Merci,” she said, thanking the waiter who placed the coffee on her table.

  She quickly ruffled her notes. All three newcomers had been given instructions on what to do and where to be at a specific time to get to Ilemuria. She had paired them with some of her more senior clan members to help them through the portals. They had been scattered across different countries, but the unicorn leader did enjoy travel.

  She took a sip and inhaled deeply. The warm drink after a few days of long work was always welcome. Putting her notes away, Roshna took out her map, intending to check off the location of the young lady she had just met.

  No, she thought, staring at the old parchment. That can’t be right.

  A fourth location had just appeared, in a city that she frequented. The spot was marked just as brightly as the others.

  The dragons reenchanted this map months ago, she wondered. The spell could not have shown someone so late.

  Roshna sat back and looked around, deep in thought. The coffee shop was crowded. No one here had the creature gene that she knew of.

  And they’ll never know of the incredible world we have.

  The unicorn leader warily surveyed the map. Something strange was happening. She quickly thought back to her old mentor. No one ever questioned her leadership, regardless of how controversial her views might have been. Roshna was unsure she could ever live up to those expectations.

  “All creatures have a birthright to the land,” she had claimed shortly after the great battle all those years earlier.

  Roshna quickly paid for her coffee, handsomely tipping the waiter, and raced to her car. She needed to get to this fourth creature as quickly as possible. A flight would get her there in a few hours, she thought as she drove to the airport.

  No one gets left behind.

  *

  For all the years Pandian had promised to do whatever it took to fulfill his wife’s dying wish, he had never believed he would get the chance.

  He remembered her instructions clearly. She had used the last bit of her life’s energy for this.

  “It will point the way. It will glow red when they’re nearby.”

  The bright, now crimson light from the stone nearly gave him away before he stuffed it back into his side bag. The drive had luckily been short. The horn twisted and turned, pointing where he had to go, finally settling in front of an old apartment. Had this boy really only lived a couple hours away all this time?

  Pandian parked and waited, restlessly watching as the horn lay, pondering how he could get his message to this boy without sounding crazy, but it was starting to look impossible.

  There was no way he would believe him, and this stone was not enough proof. The stories his wife had told him were too incredulous to believe, and that was coming from the woman he loved. How would this kid believe a stranger?

  He clutched at what little hair he had left as he struggled to find out how he could convince the young lad. Nothing came to mind. It was futile. There was no way. He stepped out of the car, feeling claustrophobic in the small vehicle. Suddenly, the boy rode into the garage.

  I wasn’t expecting him back so soon.

  The boy locked up his bike and began to walk to the entrance. Pandian knew time was running out. His stomach churned in knots.

  The boy pulled out a key and opened the door. He had one foot inside.

  “Hey, kid!”

  Pandian had shouted at the last second. The young man turned around, confused and clearly on his guard.

  “Yeah?” he answered.

  The old man looked nervously from side to side. It was only them there. Now might be his only chance. He reached into his side bag and pulled out the cylindrical stone.

  It had stopped glowing.

  “You wanted to show me some rock?” asked the young man quizzically.

  “N–no,” stammered Pandian. “It was glowing, I swear. You need to believe me. She told me to find you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Though small for his age, he had youth on his side that Pandian would not be able to match. He slowly backed off.

  “No, I’m telling the truth!” blabbered Pandian, quickly realizing how much he was messing everything up.

  “Stay away from here,” shouted the boy as he slammed the door in Pandian’s face.

  The old man stumbled back to his car, both hands on the hood for support.

  Even though you passed away years ago, I’m still finding ways to disappoint you.

  Disgusted with himself, Pandian flung the rock as far as he could across the garage. He got into his car and turned on the engine.

  I wish it was me instead of her.

  He drove away, wanting to be as far as he could from the scene of his latest failure.

  *

  These crazies are getting worse, thought Veeran as he rode up the elevator. He had glimpsed the old man fling the rock deep into the basement. He needed to make sure his grandmother was aware of this new one.

  The smell of her cooking was welcoming as he went inside his home and sat down at the dining table. Jeya ruffled his hair as she sat down beside her grandson.

  “How was your day?” she asked.

  “Was good. Some weird dude just tried to show me a rock downstairs. Said it was glowing. Be careful when you go out. I need to tell building security.”

  Jeya suddenly dropped her fork. Veeran could not help but notice her hand trembling as she bent to pick it up.

  “More and more crazies,” she responded in a voice Veeran knew she was forcing to sound normal. “What did the rock look like?”

  That’s a strange question, thought Veeran. “It was kind of long. Didn’t get too much of a look at it. Like a cone, I would say.”

  His grandmother turned her head away. Why is this freaking her out so much?

  “Anyway, we went to the park and played soccer today.”

  Veeran tried to get the conversation away from what had just happened. Something about it had struck a chord with her, and he wanted to make sure she was all right.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked when it was clear she wasn’t listening. They had always been open with each other, and Veeran hoped she would continue to be honest with her.

  �
��For now,” she responded. She got up, said goodnight, and hurried to her room.

  Veeran sat there dumbfounded, food still on his fork. He quickly cleaned the kitchen and stood outside his grandmother’s room. He raised his hand, hesitating mere inches from her door.

  Maybe I should give her some time, he surmised, walking away to his room. He lay in bed and struggled to sleep all night.

  *

  Pandian took a long sip of the cheap liquor he bought from the corner store, hating himself. It had been years since his lips had touched the tortuous bottle, but his body welcomed it like a long-lost friend. He sat on a springy mattress in the stingiest motel he could find. A single cockroach scurried by, and he paid it no mind. Another swig down.

  He had always lived an angry life, and yet his wife had stayed with him. He hated all those times she left for so many months and resented her in the little time they had together. The guilt was worse than anything he had ever felt. What she would have thought of his cowardice, he did not want to imagine.

  “I don’t know what to do, Sammy,” he said out loud, the bottle dangling from his hand.

  What he would have done to be the one to have gone first? He thought of what he would say when he saw her again. How she would feel when he told her he failed.

  He had the deepest sleep he had in years that night. The empty bottle fell to the floor, shattering into thousands of pieces.

  *

  A knock on the bedroom door awoke Veeran. He turned groggily to his alarm clock, uncomfortably aware that he had only fallen asleep a few minutes earlier.

  Grandma Jeya walked into the room. “I’ll be stepping out for a bit. Do let me know if you need anything,” she stated.

  “No plans,” said Veeran sleepily.

  It seemed she was still not ready to talk about last night. Maybe it’s not that big a deal, he thought. I could’ve imagined all of it.

  “Okay, take care of yourself,” she said, closing his door behind her.

  Veeran waited a few minutes, attempting to pick up any noise. Once he was sure his grandmother wasn’t coming back, he quickly changed and was out the door.

  Charging down the stairs, ignoring the elevator, he sprinted into the garage. It was surprisingly empty for such an early hour. He thought back to which direction the old man threw the rock.

  “What am I doing?” Veeran said out loud, going deeper into the basement.

  Maybe that old man knew something. His grandmother was acting a bit too strange for his liking. He had never seen her so rattled before, and she was always so truthful with him. It stung at Veeran’s heart to know she was hiding something.

  Suddenly, a small glow caught the corner of his eye. As his heart began to flutter, Veeran turned and wandered to the deepest corner of the garage, kicking away the old trash that still littered the area.

  He could feel the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as the air began to get warmer the closer he got to the light. He reached down and grabbed the rock, feeling it pulse in his arms as though breathing. He thought he would be scared, but instead, he felt a yearning. Something he had never felt before.

  “Believe me now, kid?” asked a voice from behind.

  Veeran turned around and saw the same old man from yesterday. He barely seemed to have the energy to stand up.

  “Yeah, you’re the one for sure,” he continued.

  Veeran remained silent as the stone throbbed in his hands.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday, son. The name’s Pandian, and if you want, I can tell you all about it.”

  Veeran again stared down the old man. It was a tempting offer. He could feel the sadness emanating from his voice, and against his better judgment, let his guard down a little.

  “You tried to give me a glowing rock,” said Veeran. “I can be a little skeptical.”

  “You have every right to be.”

  Pandian had woken up barely an hour earlier, his head still pounding. The pathetic sight of him in the bathroom mirror jarred his memory. If he was ever going to do something right by her for something in his life, this was his only chance.

  I’m not going to see her again as a failure.

  “It’s not a rock you’re holding, actually,” said Pandian, soldiering on carefully. This had to be done as gently as possible.

  “Sure looks like one,” replied Veeran.

  “It’s a horn. From a unicorn,” said Pandian softly.

  Veeran brought his guard back up. This guy had to be out of his mind. It was stupid to have come down here in the first place, and he had clearly imagined his grandmother lying to him.

  “That’s not right, man,” he retorted. “They don’t exist.”

  “Not in this world,” said another voice, stepping out from the shadows. “But they do in Ilemuria.”

  Pandian and Veeran both watched in shock as Roshna stepped out from the shadows, the horn on her head glowing brighter than anything either of them had ever seen.

  CHAPTER 3

  ***

  V eeran’s gaze was transfixed by the beautiful older woman that almost glided toward him and the old man. He forced himself to look away, and to add to his shock and amazement, the old man looked furious. The woman’s horn disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, making Veeran wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him.

  “I know you,” said Pandian. “She told me about you.”

  “Yes,” said the woman. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry?” spat Pandian, clearly livid. “That’s all you have to say? My wife is dead because of you and your people. She gave up everything for that world, and you think you can just come here in the presence of her horn just like that. You don’t deserve it.”

  “You have every right to be angry with us and our kind,” she responded. “But please, this is not about us. This is about him.”

  She pointed a long finger elegantly at Veeran, who looked behind him, hoping she was pointing elsewhere.

  Why me? He gulped.

  “Look,” said Veeran, finally finding his voice. “It looks like you guys have some issues with each other that you need to figure out. I’m not sure how I even fit into place here, but I'll let you guys do your thing. You can keep this rock.”

  “No,” she shouted. “This has everything to do with you. Please stay.”

  There was something in her voice that made her sound more believable than the old man, but Veeran could still feel his heart racing.

  “You’re going to ruin this boy’s life like you ruined hers,” piped up Pandian. “Boy, you get out of here. You don’t need what she’s about to say. I’ve fulfilled my promise. The Ilemurians are not to be trusted.”

  “That’s a pretty racist thing to say,” said Veeran, frowning.

  The old man laughed. “Ilemurians are not human, boy. They’re creatures disguised as nearly human. They have their own world, and it was almost ruined. My wife nearly sacrificed herself to protect it. And when she came back to our own world, she had nothing left. She passed away in my arms. She made me promise that when her horn glowed, I must let it lead me to you. I always hated that world, but I loved my wife. I did as she asked. I fulfilled her dying wish, but I’m not letting it ruin another life.”

  “My name is Roshna...” began the woman.

  “Do you think I really care what your name is?” spat the old man. “You took everything from me.”

  If they hadn’t been arguing over him, Veeran would have found the entire situation quite entertaining. Instead, he felt fear. The old man was clearly off his hinges. A secret world with creatures? Always a scientific, logical type of person, Veeran was finding his story very hard to believe.

  But wasn’t the proof right there in front of him? The woman, Roshna, had a horn herself, and the one in his own hands was glowing. The thought was incredible, but was it impossible?

  “No creature should be left unaware of the world that is their birthright. He deserves to know everything and to make his own decision whether to e
mbrace his ancestry or not,” Roshna said simply, turning to Veeran. “Can we talk about this somewhere privately?”

  Veeran wanted to say no. He wanted to run. But there was something holding him in place as the rock continued to throb in his hand, almost naturally. Was he actually holding a horn?

  “Um, yeah,” he responded. “My apartment is empty, but I’m not comfortable allowing complete strangers in there.”

  “I agree,” Pandian said happily.

  “You can continue to hold the horn while I’m there,” said Roshna. “It will protect you.”

  Veeran held on to the rock even tighter as it made him feel at ease.

  “All right,” he said. “But you, Pandian, right? You get to come too.”

  This has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done, thought Veeran as the two strangers turned to follow him. The old man was clearly the more dangerous of the two, but Veeran knew he could easily overcome him if need be.

  “You’ve been drinking,” he overheard Roshna say behind him.

  “Scotch, you should try it.”

  After an extremely awkward elevator ride, Veeran let them into his apartment and guided them to the couch.

  “Would you like water or anything?” he asked. His grandmother had always taught him hosting manners.

  “Coffee, if you don’t mind,” said Roshna while Pandian settled for a glass of water.

  Veeran made his way to the kitchen to prepare the drinks, making sure to keep his two strange houseguests in view. Roshna gave off the air of a powerful woman, but even she had her doubts, it seemed, with this situation. Pandian had finally lost the angry look on his face and stared longingly out the window. His face grew sadder with each passing moment.

  Veeran returned with the drinks. “One at a time,” he said. “You will each tell me your story. No interruptions.”

  They agreed.

  “Who wants to go first?”

  Pandian jumped forward. “This is going to sound crazy, boy, but trust me, it is all true. Years and years ago, perhaps even before this woman here was born, I met someone. And yes, back then true love was as real as can be. Her name was Samara.”