Oliver opened his eyes. 

 

The turmoil in him was calm. The weight was taken off of him. He could breathe. Everything was okay. 

 

As he looked up at the ceiling, he noticed it was a different color than his ceiling. But he was almost too comfortable to worry about it. 

 

He looked around the room. Why did it look so weird? What happened to his room? That’s when he felt something graze his foot. 

 

What the hell? 

 

He looked under the blanket. He saw a slimmer, smaller foot graze his. His eyes followed up the bare leg until it clicked that he was in bed with a girl. 

 

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” he screamed, sitting up. 

 

“Be quiet,” Scarlet said, wrapping her arms around Oliver’s waist. Her long red hair fell over both of them. He could’ve sworn he heard her mumble something that sounded like “I love you.”

 

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?!???” he screamed. 

 

“Don’t play dumb, Oliver. It’s Scarlet.”

 

He tried squirming out of her grip. “Nope, doesn’t ring a bell,” he said. “Now get off of me!!”

 

She smiled. “But you smell so good.” She sleepily kissed his chest. 

 

He screamed again, pushing her away. 

 

“You must’ve forgotten,” she said, “maybe this will help you remember.” She held the back of Oliver’s neck and kissed him slowly. And just as slowly, it all came back to him. 

 

Last night. The homeless man. His walk. August. 

 

She pulled back, leaving him to his memory. 

 

“Shit…I forgot about August…” He remembered his vision—seeing August again. 

 

“I ate your fear, Oliver,” she said. “You were afraid of what you weren’t used to—death. But you’ll be seeing a lot of death, won’t you? It wouldn’t be very good for you to have that fear, then. So I consumed it for you. You aren’t afraid of dead bodies anymore, Oliver. Even though you’ll still be afraid of watching someone you love die…so you’ll need to be careful with that.”

 

Oliver tried to process what she was saying when she wrapped her bare arms around his neck. 

 

“Your fear tastes so damn good,” she said. “I wonder how good you taste.”

 

“No!” Oliver said. 

 

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t want me,” she pouted. She pulled his head to her. “Because I want you.” She threw the blanket off of them. 

 

“WHAT THE FUCK, WHY ARE WE BOTH NAKED!??”

 

“Come on, Oliver,” she cooed. 

 

“I said NO!!” he said, pushing her off. He fell to the floor and wrapped himself in the blanket. “G-get away from me!!”

 

He looked around the room for his clothes. 

 

“Oh, your clothes?” she said coyly. “They’re in the washing machine. Don’t think you can leave that easily.” 

 

“Why are they in the washer!?”

 

“Oliver, I found you lying in a dirty alley. Of course I washed them.” Oliver looked around. It was already late morning. What were Marilyn and May doing? He hadn’t been home all night. 

 

“While they wash, I guess you’re stuck with me,” she said. “Just me and you. So, why not have a little fun?” 

 

“Okay,” he said. 

 

She blinked. “Wait, really?”

 

“Sure. Where’s your video games?”

 

She scooted over to him, looking up into his eyes. “Why don’t you play with me instead?” She traced a finger from his neck down his chest. He pulled away. 

 

“I’m good.”

 

“Aw, come on,” she pouted, sitting on her legs. He could say a lot of things about her, but he couldn’t say she wasn’t beautiful. 

 

“Nope.” He took the blanket to her living room and turned on the TV. It was the news. 

 

“... in the wake of the events that took place at Matthias High School, which are still under investigation, normal school activities will be postponed for at least 3 weeks. Further information will be released as it comes into development, but this is all we have at the moment.” 

 

“3 weeks!?” Oliver repeated. 

 

“Woohoo!!!” Marilyn yelled with a smile. “3 weeks of no school!!! I gotta go tell Oliver!!!” Marilyn got up but froze. “Wait…where is Oliver?”

 

She realized he had never come back the night before. “Shit…” she said, dialing his number. It rang through without picking up. 

 

“Oliver never came back?” May said. She had been asleep in Oliver’s bed, waiting for him to return. 

 

“No. I-I don’t know where he is, he’s not picking up his phone!”

 

I know where he is, the voice told May. 

 

“Um, y-you do?” May asked. 

 

Yes. Just trust my instructions, and I’ll take you there. 

 

May looked at Marilyn. “Um, I-I know where he is.”

 

“What? How?”

 

“Um, I…I don’t know. I just do.”

 

Marilyn laughed. “Oh, you’re like a dog—you can just sniff him out, huh? I mean, you already look like one, so it makes sense!!”

 

May growled and balled her fists. “Let's just go!” 

 

Marilyn followed May outside the apartment, and all around town. It was a long, long walk, and Marilyn doubted May for most of the journey, but May still listened to the voice in her head. She told May to stop at a small house. 

 

Marilyn knocked at the door. “Hello? Anyone here?”

 

Oliver and Scarlet both turned towards the door. 

 

“Marilyn?” Oliver asked himself. Scarlet panicked, knocking him to the floor. The blanket fell off of him and she covered his mouth.

 

“No, no one’s home!” she yelled. 

 

Marilyn shrugged at May. “Well, no one’s here, May. Let’s go.”

 

“If no one’s there, then how did someone answer?” she said. 

 

“Oh yeah.” She knocked again. “Hey, I know you’re in there! Let us in!!”

 

“No!” Scarlet yelled. 

 

“Let them in!!” Oliver said. 

 

“No. They’ll take you away from me.” 

 

Oliver thought for a second. “Fine, if you let them in, I’ll do it with you.”

 

She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” she said skeptically. “How do I know you aren’t just lying?”

 

“I promise,” he said. 

 

This was the closest she was ever going to get. “Fine!” she said, hurrying over to the door and unlocking it.

 

Marilyn and May burst in and immediately saw Oliver naked on the floor, a blanket underneath him. May stared in shock while Marilyn burst into laughter. 

 

“So that’s what he was doing all night!” she laughed. “Looks like someone beat you to it, May!” May blushed furiously. 

 

Scarlet slammed the door shut and flew through the air towards Oliver, her face etched with urgency. 

 

“Let’s do it—now!!” she said, grabbing Oliver. 

 

“AHHHHH!!!” Marilyn screamed, “G-G-GHOST!!!!!!” 

 

“Ghost!?” Oliver asked. 

 

“YOU DIDN’T SEE HER JUST FLY ACROSS THE ROOM!??!?” 

 

Oliver looked at Scarlet. She was floating like a ghost. “AHHHHHHH!!!!!” 

 

He tried pushing her off, but she had a death grip on him. “Nope, I’m not letting you go this time!!” she said. “Let’s do it!!!”

 

“NO, GET OFF OF ME!!!”

 

“BUT YOU PROMISED!!!”

 

“MAY!” Marilyn yelled, “DO SOMETHING!!! SHE’S TOUCHING YOUR MAN!!!!!”

 

“I-I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!” she screamed back, overwhelmed by everything. 

 

Oliver tickled Scarlet, forcing her to laugh and let go. Oliver ran over to Marilyn. 

 

“MAY, OPEN A PORTAL, NOW!!”

She did, and the 3 of them ran through it. 

 

“N-not fair!!” Scarlet yelled. 

 

They ran into Oliver’s apartment, panting and shaking. Oliver hurried into his room, slamming the door and locking it. 

 

May stared at his door. Did…did he really…? She bit her lip. 

 

When Oliver walked out, fully dressed, Marilyn asked, “Who was that girl?!”

 

He shrugged. “Her name is Scarlet. That’s all I know. She says she knows me from somewhere, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

 

“And you didn’t know that she was a ghost?” she asked.

 

“No. She felt just like a human.” May winced. 

 

“Well, why were you naked?” Marilyn continued. 

 

“I don’t know. I fell asleep on the floor. Next thing I knew, I was in bed with her, naked.”

 

May burned bright red as Marilyn thought about it. Whatever she thought, she didn’t seem too bothered. 

 

“Well, alright then. Did you hear we don’t have school for 3 weeks!?!”

 

“Yeah.” Oliver looked around the apartment. Something felt off…like he was forgetting something…then it hit him: “Wait, where’s Maxine!??”

 

“Oh, she said she was going home to tell her mom,” Marilyn said. “I hope she’s telling her to get us more pizza.”

 

“That’s not what she’s telling mom,” Oliver said. “If she wants to tell mom, she can go ahead. I wasn’t even given a heads up for watching her.” 

 

Oliver looked down at his hands. 

 

“Oh yeah,” Marilyn said, “yesterday before you left, you did this really cool move in your sleep!! You were going berserk, too.”

 

“Was my hand glowing blue?” he asked, looking at his arm. 

 

“Yeah!! It’s called Blue Dragon!!!”

 

Shit, yeah—you’re body is capable of doing that, Zack said in Oliver’s head. It looks like it won’t even be that hard for you, too. 

 

So, picture your energy: focus on it with everything you have. Then, snap your fingers, and watch the energy come from your arm. Then, just control it. 

 

Oliver figured that was simple enough. He followed Zack’s instructions and snapped his fingers. A small blue light appeared. 

 

Okay great! Now, control it with your mind! 

 

Oliver focused on it, concentrating all his energy on the light. The blue orb expanded down his arm, wrapping around his fist and taking the form of a dragon. 

 

Marilyn and Oliver watched it in shock, both exclaiming, “Woah!”

 

Marilyn seemed transfixed with it, staring at the dragon and seemingly lost in thought. 

 

“Hit me with it,” she said. She was expressionless.

 

“What?? Why?” Oliver asked. 

 

She didn’t look away from the light. “I deserve it. I mean…I did almost kill you, Oliver.” A tear fell from her eyes. 

 

That's when Oliver remembered: the knife. 

 

“I’m really sorry, Oliver,” she said. “I was so scared when I saw that I hit you…”

 

“It’s okay, Marilyn,” he said. “Everything is okay now. Plus, I know you didn’t mean to. You were just trying to help.”

 

“I just don’t want to lose you…” She hugged him. “I really care about you, Ollie.”

 

Oliver stopped the blue dragon and hugged her back. “I care about you too.”

 

KNOCK KNOCK

 

They looked over at the door. Oliver walked over and opened it to Scarlet, standing in front of him. 

 

“W-w-what the hell!??” he gasped. “H-how did you—?”

 

She smirked and waved Oliver’s phone. “You forgot something,” she said. “You should really have a lock on this or something.”

 

“Shit!!” 

 

She frowned. “Why did you leave?! You promised me!!”

 

“Why do you care about me so much!??” he yelled. 

 

“Because I love you!! I just want to show you that!” she said. 

 

“I-I’m still young, though—I’m only 16!!”

 

“I’m 16 too,” she said.

 

“But you’re a ghost, and I’m a demon!”

 

“Who is it, Oliver?” Marilyn asked. She walked over to see. “W-WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE!??” 

 

Oliver snatched his phone, slammed the door, and locked it. But Scarlet just walked through it. 

 

“I’m a ghost, remember dummy?” She looked around Oliver’s apartment before focusing on him. She rushed forward, taking his face and kissing him before he had time to react. “I missed you so much!” she said. “Let’s go back to my place.”

 

“NO, LET GO OF ME!!” 

 

Hearing the commotion, May left the bathroom (that she had been doing some rumination in) just in time to see Scarlet hugging Oliver. May glared at her, her eyes narrowing into slits of hatred. 

 

Scarlet noticed her and let go of Oliver. “I can smell it in you;” she started, “you like him too.” 

 

Oliver looked at May, but she just continued to glare coldly at Scarlet. 

 

“Well, too bad! I won’t let you take him away from me!! He’s mine!!!” 

 

Oliver saw this as the perfect distraction and shimmied out of view. As soon as he was out of her sight, he fell to his stomach and crawled towards the door. Marilyn noticed and followed suit, and the two of them crept outside unnoticed by either girl. 

 

“Where are you going, Oliver?” she called, jogging after him. 

 

“The park—I needed to get out of there.” She smiled at Marilyn. “Wanna go train?”

 

She smiled back. “Just you and me, just like old times!!”

 

“Let’s go then!” 

 

The two of them walked to the park. It was a nice day: cloudy, but warm. 

 

Before their training, Oliver bought Marilyn an ice cream. As she was devouring it, Erica noticed them from afar. She watched him buy her the ice cream, and both of them walk away together. 

 

“And he says they aren’t dating! Hmph!” She decided to follow them, staying as far back as she could while trying to hear their conversation. She knew he was hiding something from her—no way he wasn’t dating Marilyn. And she was gonna find out. 

 

As Oliver and Marilyn sat down at a bench, Erica crouched behind a bush near them. Oliver burst into laughter. 

 

“What?” Marilyn asked. 

 

“Oh, nothing. It’s just a video,” he said, pointing to his phone. 

 

“Oh…”

 

The birds chirped around them, and Marilyn fidgeted with her fingers, debating whether or not she should ask. But her curiosity, or whatever it was, got the best of her. 

 

“So, Oliver,” she asked, “...did anything happen with you and her?”

 

“Who??”

 

“That Scarlet girl,” she said. 

 

“Wha–? No, of course not,” Oliver said. “She’s just some random girl who’s into me, for some reason. I mean, it’s annoying, but I can’t really help it I guess.”

 

Erica rolled her eyes. “Ugh, shut your cocky ass up, Oliver,” she muttered. 

 

Marilyn looked back at the bush. Erica ducked in time, though. Marilyn turned back to Oliver. 

 

“What? What is it?” he asked, looking at the expression on her face. 

 

“I smell someone,” Marilyn said. “It smells like…human blood.”

 

Erica covered her mouth. “Shit!” Maybe she hadn’t ducked in time. She crawled away as quickly as she could, leaving the two of them behind. 

 

“I don’t smell anything,” Oliver said. 

 

“I know,” she grinned, “I wash just trying to scare Erica away.” Marilyn stood up and stretched, bouncing on her heels. “So, wanna train here?” 

 

“In public?” Oliver asked. 

 

“Sure, no one ever comes here anyway,” she said. “We can go wild!!” 

 

“Okay,” he said, getting up and following her to the grass. As he did, he noticed something off about her. But he couldn’t place his finger on it, so he figured it was just in his head. 

 

They faced off, and Marilyn ran up to him. She threw a series of punches so fast they blurred, but Oliver dodged each one of them. He threw his own punch, expecting the same. But he was shocked when the punch connected, hitting her hard in the chest. She seemed off, but threw another punch, slower this time. 

 

He dodged it again and went to kick her. His foot collided with her neck. She stood upright again. Oliver charged his arm while she stood there, and aimed it at her. She stood there unmoving, looking at his hand. 

 

He didn’t know what she was doing. He missed on purpose, avoiding her completely. And that pissed her off. Her hand started to glow red. She ran up to him, screaming, “Red Dragon Fist!” But her aim was completely off—like she wasn’t even trying to hit him. 

 

Oliver ran in front of her hand, jumping into the attack and getting blasted to the floor. 

 

“O-OLIVER!!” she screamed, running over. He got up, brushing himself off. “WHY WOULD YOU JUMP INTO IT, YOU DUMBASS!” she shoved him. 

 

He shoved her hand away. “WHY AREN’T YOU DODGING MY PUNCHES??” he yelled back. 

 

She stood with her mouth agape. Then, she started to cry. “I…I…” 

 

“Marilyn! Why do you still feel bad about that?! Stop it, already!! I’m okay!!!” He pulled her into a hug as she cried into his shoulder. “You can stab me all you want—I’m not going anywhere, Marilyn. Ever. So stop worrying about it!”

 

She looked at him, shuddering from the tears. “Y..you p-promise? YOU PROMISE YOU’LL NEVER LEAVE ME, OLIVER?? NO MATTER HOW MUCH I SCREW UP??? HOW CAN YOU PROMISE THAT!??” She broke off into uncontrollable sobs. 

 

This girl really cares about me…he thought. “I don’t care, Marilyn. I promise—I will never leave you.” 

 

She continued to cry bitterly. After a while, she muttered, “I d-don’t want to train right now…let’s go somewhere else…”

 

“Okay,” he said. “Hey, how about we get something to eat?”

 

She sniffed. “O-okay…”

 

“Ah, come on, Marilyn—smile!” 

 

Oliver looked down at her and smiled. She looked at him and couldn’t help but smile too. 

 

“Aww, see? It feels nice, huh?” He held her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go get some burgers,” he said, walking them away. 

 

She laid her head on his shoulder and sniffled with teary smile. “I love you, Oliver,” she whispered. 

 

“What was that?”

 

“N-NOTHING!!!”

 

End of chapter of 26 

 

(sorry I haven't been posting i been working on my comic version of this story, come check it out its on webtoons and tapas it goes by the same name, Half Demon, Even Demons Can Be Heroes see you there!!!)