Lilia: A New Dawn

Akari hunched over the dusty tome, her eyes skimming the faded words for what felt like the hundredth time. She had combed through every record in the archives on demons and succubae, searching in vain for anything that might explain Lilia's strange abilities. For two days she had pored over volume after volume, stopping only briefly to eat or sleep.

All her efforts had uncovered nothing beyond the standard facts she already knew. Yet Lilia did not seem to entirely align with the accepted knowledge.

Finally, tucked away in an obscure corner and bound in cracked leather, she discovered the tiniest glimmer of insight. Akari, reading through the tome, quickly realized it was a bestiary from a long-forgotten order of demon hunters. She turned carefully to the last entry and read the archaic passage:

In this most dire compendium, I set forth the final understandings ere our noble order succumbed to shadow. Wherefore the common succubi arise from the darkest recesses of human emotion, tainted by lechery and maleficence, there exist yet others—those born not of man's sin, but from the very essence of the netherworld.

These sovereign entities are endowed with powers most profound. Amongst these, the first to be known was Lilith, she who reigned as the infernal sovereign of the abyss.

Following the vanishing of the dark queen, others of her ilk have emerged, each a mirror of her might and malevolence. These "Children of Lilith," or "Lilin," as they have come to be named, are the embodiment of the underworld's tainted will.

Unlike their lesser kindred, though driven by the same corrupt yearnings, these 'Lilin' are guided by a sagacity that granted them greater dominion over their base instincts. They walk amongst us cloaked in allure and sophistication, their plots as elaborate as the tapestries of kings.

It is with a heavy heart, and a soul fraught with dread, that I confess that, the downfall of our sacred order was wrought not by force, but by the machinations of one such Lilin. Her guile knew no bounds, and many a hunter fell prey to her before they could comprehend the depth of her deception.

Let it be written, let it be known: beware the Children of Lilith, for they are the darkness that wears a human guise, and their ambition is as boundless as the chasms from whence they came.

Here, my quill falters, and my words must end. May God have mercy on our souls.—

 

Akari's hand trembled as she closed the tome, its final entry seared into her memory. The words were hastily written, the calligraphy of the previous paragraphs giving way to a desperate scrawl. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she pondered the implications.

Could Lilia truly be one such ancient evil? The succubus certainly seemed an enigma, wielding unnatural abilities beyond Akari's knowledge.

Akari's mind raced with doubts. Was Lilia merely playing them for fools? Gaining their trust only to strike when their guard was lowered? Yet there was also undeniable humanity in Lilia that gave Akari pause. Was she already falling for her schemes?

Akari hurried to Collins' office, the ancient tome clutched under her arm. Bursting through the door, she found him hunched over his computer.

"Collins, I've made a discovery about Lilia," she announced.

He looked up and then gestured toward the screen. "It seems I've uncovered something as well. That term Lilia used, 'Endless Fantasy'—it's the name of an online fantasy game.

"I suspected that the 'Sanity Devourer' she mentioned might be a creature from the game," he paused, taking a breath before adding, "As you're aware, it's not uncommon for human belief and emotions to manifest as creatures from various media. However, I couldn't find any mention of this 'Devourer' on the forums nor in the game's official bestiary."

Akari's eyes widened. "So she lied to us?" she asked.

"Quite possibly. It's either that or someone has deleted all mentions of such a monster," he explained.

"Well, either way, you need to see this." She handed Collins the old tome and quickly relayed the passage about the 'Lilin' she had uncovered.

Collins leaned back, his brows furrowed. "If what this claims is true, we may be dealing with an ancient evil here. Yet, Lilia's actions thus far do not align with such a role."

"My thoughts exactly," Akari replied. "I am conflicted. Perhaps she hides her true nature?"

"A possibility, but let us not rush to judgement. We must learn more before reaching a conclusion." Collins sighed. "For now, we shall lets treat Lilia as before until given reason to do otherwise."

Akari nodded reluctantly. They would proceed with caution regarding the enigmatic succubus.

 

Meanwhile, Lilia paced anxiously in Ren's living room. Any minute now, their parents would return home. Ren had urged her to sit, but nervous energy kept Lilia on her feet.

"It will be all right," Ren said gently. "Once we explain everything, I'm sure they'll understand."

Lilia nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at her. How would their parents react to the bizarre truth? That their son could transform into a female demon? It sounded ludicrous even to her own ears.

The sound of the front door opening froze Lilia in her tracks. She took a deep breath as their parents entered the room. The moment to reveal her secret had arrived.

May and Arthur Brooks stepped into the living room, chatting lightly about their day. They both halted abruptly at the sight of the strange girl standing next to their daughter.

"Ren, who is this?" Arthur asked, glancing between the two with confusion.

May studied the girl curiously. "Yes, I wasn't aware you were having company over."

Ren cleared her throat nervously. "Mom, Dad, there's something important you should know."

Lilia felt her cheeks burn, utterly tongue-tied. This was harder than she had imagined.

Noticing her distress, Ren stepped forward. "Let me start from the beginning. A few weeks ago, I went to check on James in his room one night. When I opened the door, instead of finding James, there was a girl."

Ren gestured toward Lilia. "That girl standing there claimed she was actually James. Naturally, I thought it was some kind of prank. But she—or rather he—proved to me that it was no joke."

Arthur and May listened with bemusement as Ren recounted the bizarre tale. Lilia, finally overcoming her nerves, spoke up.

"Mom, Dad... it's true. I don't know how, but I gained the ability to turn into my character from the game—a demoness named Lilia." Her voice trembled slightly. "Ever since the incident with the supers on my way to school, I've had this power. Some things happened, and now," she paused, her cheeks flushing slightly, "now I'm going to be stuck like this for a few weeks."

To emphasize her point, Lilia allowed her human glamour to fall away, revealing her demonic appearance to her parents. Arthur and May both gasped, staggering backward.

"My God..." Arthur murmured. "Is that really you, James?"

Lilia nodded, her gaze lowered self-consciously. "I know it's hard to believe, but yes, it's me."

Gathering her courage, she went on to explain everything—how she could use some of Lilia's magical abilities from the game and how even Alistair was, in fact, her character's imp companion.

At that, Alistair shapeshifted into his true form. "Greetings, Sir and Madam Brooks, I am Alistair Wellington, a faithful servant to my lady Lilia." He gave a dramatic bow.

Arthur and May exchanged stunned looks, struggling to process it all. At first, they were certain it was some elaborate prank concocted by their child. But the sincerity and emotion in Lilia's words were undeniable. The evidence was right before their eyes.

As the truth sank in, the puzzle pieces began to fall into place—James's recent changes in behaviour, his unexplained absences, the mysterious agent who had come searching for him. It all made sense now.

"James," Arthur began, "we wish you had told us about this sooner. To think our son has been dealing with such an unbelievable situation all alone..."

May nodded, her eyes glistening with emotion. "You must have been so frightened and confused. As your parents, we should have been there to support you."

Lilia's shoulders slumped with relief at their understanding words. "I'm sorry for keeping it from you. I just didn't know how to explain any of this. I was embarrassed and scared that you wouldn't believe me."

Arthur placed a reassuring hand on Lilia's shoulder. "It's alright; we know you were only trying to make sense of it yourself first. What matters is that you chose to tell us the truth now."

After discussing things for a while longer, Lilia's parents came to accept the reality of their son's strange predicament. It would take some getting used to, but they vowed to support him no matter what.

"So, how should we refer to you now?" May asked. "Do you prefer James still, or Lilia?"

"James is fine, though it does sound a bit odd like this," Lilia replied. "You can call me Lilia or Lily too if that's easier."

May smiled warmly. "Very well... Lily it is then." She let out a small laugh. "You know, I always wished I could have another daughter. I just didn't expect it to happen like this."

Lilia chuckled at her mother's remark, but then she remembered something she also should share with parents. Shuffling her feet nervously, she said, "There's one more thing you should know. Ren created an ID for my Lilia persona, so I could register as a new hero."

May's eyes widened with alarm. "What? But that's far too dangerous!"

Arthur placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Now, dear, let's not overreact. I registered as a hero myself at the same age. It's a noble thing to want to help others."

"But this is different!" May insisted, her protective instincts flaring. "We're talking about our child going out to fight criminals and villains with superpowers!"

"I understand your concern, but we must have faith in—Lily," Arthur hesitated, still grappling with the right way to address their son who had now become their daughter. "She possesses powers that could truly make an impact. With the right guidance, I'm convinced she can be a force for good."

He turned to Lilia with a serious expression. "However, you must promise to be cautious. No unnecessary risks. Am I clear?"

Lilia nodded quickly. "Of course, Dad. I'll be careful and responsible; you have my word."

May sighed, gradually softening her stance. "Alright, I suppose Arthur is right. Just promise me you won't push yourself too far too fast. Start small and work your way up."

"I will, Mom, I promise," Lilia said, relief washing over her.

 

The next two weeks passed in a blur as Lilia devoted herself fully to honing her abilities. She practiced summoning an increasingly extensive arsenal from her inventory. Swords, staves, bows, and other weapons soon materialized at her command with ease.

Additionally, with Alistair's assistance, she learned to cast a minor illusion spell that allowed her to mimic James's voice. Originally designed to throw off opponents with a distracting voice and facilitate sneaking, she repurposed it to talk with her friends over the phone during her absence.

By the end of the first week, she had succeeded in summoning pieces of armour—vambraces, greaves, pauldrons, and helms materialized at her command. However, she struggled to equip the armour as part of the retrieving the item.

Lilia hypothesized that this was a limitation preventing her from changing armour mid-combat, similar to the constraints in the game. She hoped to use Ren's wristwatch device as a workaround, but Ren cautioned against it, fearing it might overload the device.

After two and a half weeks, Lilia finally reverted back to James. The transformation wore off while she was sleeping.

James awoke in mild disorientation, back in his original male body. As he sat up groggily, he noticed an unfamiliar weight on his head. Reaching up, he realized his blond hair had grown longer and taken on a slight silver hue.

Puzzled, he walked to the mirror and gasped at his reflection. Not only had his hair changed, but his entire physique seemed softer and less defined. James' eyes widened as he examined his body, now lacking some of its muscle definition. The differences were subtle but unmistakable.

Was he transforming into Lilia permanently? James shook the thought from his mind for the moment. He had more pressing issues to attend to after such an extended absence. It was time to return to school and resume his normal life.