The Shadows Within

Once dressed, I stepped outside the room to notice a change. Nyla had her goblin friends clean the entire castle. All the dust from before was gone, yet I hadn't heard a sound while I slept. However, it sunk in that these demons didn't sleep as I did.

I ate a quick meal before apologizing multiple times to Phoebe for making her wait. However, she couldn't care less about them. Instead, she insisted on starting with what I called her for. She, along with what looked like a brightly colored slime and three furry gremlins, were there waiting for me.

The fur balls were small, making me doubt why they were there. One was green, another brown, and the smallest one was red. Nyla had also brought her colleagues of smaller goblins to help clean. We were in a small room I had picked for testing purposes.

Noticing my intense gaze on them, one of the gremlins spoke up.

"Name's Mika!" the green announced, shimmering brown eyes much like the one who followed him.

It sounded female.

The brown one followed with. "Name's Milo!"

This one was a boy, from his tone.

"Mine's Lulu!" the red one squeaked.

Another female with bright amber eyes was almost mesmerizing.

"We're siblin'!" the three said at the same time.

Okay… cute… Yet why do I smell trouble from you?

"We're the bestests carpentars' in the worl'!" the green and brown followed.

"Maybes, not the worl'." Maki sighed, shaking her head.

Milo huffed. "Hush! You shouldn'ts scares the customers!"

Lulu breathed again, shrugging. "We already freaks her out. Don't you sees?"

She interrupted the duo's argument.

"Nos, we don't! We're all well-feds and won'ts eats your dreams! We promises!" the little green one assured me as I shifted my gaze.

Not so sure about you three.

Gazing to the side, I noticed a big bear man walking on two legs. It shouldn't have been a shock since Rizak was a walking owl, but I couldn't help but be wary of him. Nyla noticed, nudging me on my side.

"That's Jack, and he's the blacksmith. The slime's name is Monica. She'll paint the walls within seconds." She beamed, making me unsure of everything.

I didn't know what to expect, but surely it wasn't the group that was brought in front of me. Sadly, it didn't help that I wasn't used to Phoebe. Every time she got near, I couldn't help but take two steps away, feeling all the hair on my skin rise because of her.

"So, what do you want us to do?" the spider asked, prompting me to meet with her gaze.

However, I didn't know with which eyes she was staring at me. Every time I did, goosebumps rose on my skin. It wasn't her fault, and that made me feel bad. They were nothing but pleasant for me to react this way.

"D-decorate the c-castle." I spat out through the nerves that were consuming me.

All of them nodded.

"Hehe, shall we get started?" Nyla asked.

I could barely do anything with my lazy arm, but it wasn't like they would allow me to do anything other than observe.

"I have a feeling this will fail because I have no idea what I'm doing, but we might as well try to have fun, no?" I giggled, only to be met with one of Nyla's famous smiles.

"We won'ts fails. We'll bedazzles this place!" Lulu announced.

Oh no… wait, that didn't sound right!

Before I knew it, everything turned different colors as the three gremlins made decorations without directions. The walls turned bright pink, making me gaze towards Monica, who had somehow moved towards them.

How?!

"Wait! Uh… No, please, no bright colors." I tried to get their attention, but they let their creative juices go wild.

Jack sat on the floor by a corner, scratching one of his ears. "Let me know when you younglings get a hang of things."

"Pinks and yellows everywhere!" Mika and Milo squealed, triggering different wooden decorations to turn various colors.

Their magic was something unique, yet it was out of control.

"No… please don't." I tried once again, in vain.

"Neons colors!" Milo announced.

I didn't have the energy to keep up with the duo.

"No, please—" I tried to speak, only to be drowned by the trio.

Lulu finally joined the energy balls.

"Greens!" Milo declared, turning everything of that color.

"No! Blues!" Lulu tapped the wood, turning it to that.

"No! Reds!" Maki huffed, turning everything crimson.

The red gremlin stepped up. "No! Pinks!"

However, someone had enough of their disrespect towards me.

"You're all annoying, Sylvia! Quiet!" Solas growled louder than I had ever heard him go.

In an instant, everyone quieted as the wolf radiated that same red aura as Finn did before it dimmed.

"Solas…" I mumbled, shaking my head.

No, you gave me an opportunity. I shouldn't waste it.

"Okay… How about we try to bring colors out without making the castle into a rainbow?" I smiled, trying to keep everyone calm.

"That's so dulls!" Mika huffed.

"So very borings!" Milo rolled his eyes.

These little things were brats.

"I want to modernize it, not make it into another horror show." I frowned, grabbing onto my right arm.

I still felt nothing and could barely move it, yet it was still my arm, and I found comfort in simply holding it. Nyla had made me a sling to wear so that it would not hang, which could've gotten me caught and injured without me knowing.

"Hm… I see what you're saying. So, would you like for this room?" Phoebe asked before the gremlins went ham again.

"I think some nice lavender curtains, with nice grey walls. Maybe some white tiles or shades of grey on different walls would look nice. You know, to give each room a vibe without having anyone go blind with horror." I answered, gazing towards the broken windows.

There was so much to fix. Back in Finn's memory, I didn't see a fire, but there was no doubt that he did this when he rampaged around soon after transforming.

You or one of the many other demons doomed to this fate. It doesn't matter how it happened; it just needs to disappear.

I already knew what type of king he was by how he treated me. It wasn't just me; everyone cared for him, alerting me he was only a tyrant when he raged.

"We have to restore so much, and for decorations, I was thinking of mirrors, glass figurines, nice dark wood furniture—Oh! And some nice comfy cotton cushions. Things like that. So, the past can be that and nothing more." I sighed, gazing away from the scorch marks.

"I don't want the people I've come to care about to live in the aftermath of that nightmare anymore. This is my home base, but I plan to help Finn rebuild this kingdom with time. You all deserve better." I paused, gazing at the bracelet.

With this, I'm immortal until I get sick or get killed. Does that mean my aging has also stopped? Ah… the only one who can tell me is…

I had all the time in the world to do this, yet I didn't want to wait another moment, primarily because tomorrow was never secured. This meant I had to live in the moment, move forward, and leave a legacy for these people to follow.

However, I was inexperienced. Half my actions would probably fail, but I wasn't afraid of failure; I feared losing what little I finally had.

But as long as I stay useful. You won't abandon me, right? As long as this tool does her job… You promised to give me what I wanted at the end of this.

I hope you remember that. However, what I want and what you desire may be different. Is it selfish to ask for your heart?

"I want to make Fathal a place where you all can live without the scars to remind you at every turn you take." I shook my head, biting my bottom lip.

I'm rambling.

My eyes locked on the floor, not wanting to see their expressions.

"I'm probably blabbering about things I don't—" I started, only to be interrupted by Jack standing up and walking towards me.

Oh, no… did I say something I shouldn't have? Surely…

"M'lady, may I be blunt?" he asked, standing before me.

The bear was enormous compared to me. He was probably as tall as Rizak, yet beefier. His fur was pure black, and his eyes were emerald.

"What?" I mumbled.

His voice was so rough that I couldn't even answer him straight. However, the following words would leave me wide open.

"When I came here, I thought you would order us around and treat us as monsters. It's been a long time since a human has treated us with the courtesy of speech. Let alone work with us." He started as I fiddled with my sleeves.

"Nobles tend to be full of themselves, so I didn't expect much of the saints when Nyla called for me. I mean, you're a mortal enemy and all, but now I see how mistaken I was." He chuckled, sitting in front of me.

He was more on my level. There was no doubt this man was another beast, yet his soul was…

"I…" I couldn't find any words to say anything to him.

However, he noted my hesitation and nerves.

"M'lord has found himself an excellent bride. Now, how can this humble blacksmith be of service to accomplish this goal of yours?" He smiled, leaving my eyes stinging with tears.

"I…" I trailed off, barely able to hold my composure.

Shifting his eyes toward the windows, he pointed towards it. "May I suggest mosaic windows to replace the broken ones and silver lanterns to update the old ones? This used to be known as the dragon castle, so perhaps we can bring that back again." He smiled, leaving me open wide.

Before I could even gather myself properly, Phoebe giggled on the side.

"Yes, how can we all be of service, my lady?" she asked, gazing at me with the same as the bear.

"You're not angry at me?" I mumbled.

These people weren't the monsters the humans thought them to be. No, they were all trying to survive. None of them asked to be turned into monsters by an outsider.

"What? No! Why would I even get angry with someone caring about my community? I haven't had that since I woke in two thousand years." He chuckled.

Compared to the others, he was relatively new to his humanity. Even though I knew he fed on humans, I couldn't find fault in them trying to survive. Without their food, they would lose themselves in the curse that made them into what they were.

If anything, that mad king is the one to blame for everyone's suffering.

Surely, if cannibalism were the only way for humans to keep their rational, then they would eat each other until there were none left.

The human farms, as appalling as they must be, I can understand them for making them.

Luckily, demons only needed to eat once a month in most cases. Gael had to feast on humans multiple times to keep everyone fed, but he was a particular case. Even so, he tried to minimize the casualties by already going to sex-orientated places.

The cycle in this world was deplorable even to think of. There had to be a way to break it.

"You demons have been more humanity in you than most of my kind that I've met," I confessed, feeling more comfortable with monsters.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't get me wrong. Most of us would kill you without a second thought if we were hungry enough." He warned.

It caused me to giggle, much to their surprise.

"I'm sure that humans would eat me, too, with little thought if I were the only food around." I simpered, clasping onto my shirt.

Not that it matters. I wouldn't be alive today if you hadn't saved me that day.

"What a fine bride Finn has. A sweet girl with a big heart to match his." Jack smiled, patting my head like I was a small child.

The others said similar things, leaving aches in my chest. I wouldn't correct them, as that would pressure Finn, but the thought of being his wife wasn't as unappealing as when I first got here. Yet it was too soon for anything like that.

There would be no wedding bells until they were all free. Even though my feelings had turned toward the demon king, I couldn't accept Finn's proposal when it wasn't genuine.

If anything, it was made during duress.

We spent the rest of the day decorating the castle, turning it into something it used to be long ago.

Now, it's a proper home for those who live here.

Of course, with magic, everything went by quicker than I thought. And with everyone's suggestions and colors, everything ended up being perfect. The floor had new tiles of different sizes and shades of white or black.

All the walls were grey, along with alternating colors for décor. Some were wine red, while others were baby blue. Every room had different curtains and decorations matching the various themes of this world, and each hall had its variety, too.

It was finally a place of royalty once again. The central premise of the castle alluded to its original name, which Nyla let loose once we were done.

"Dragon Heart Manor is back in business! I knew our future lady would be the best for this!" The little goblin cheered as the rest followed suit.

Even Gael, hesitant at first, loved how his kitchen looked—black glossy gravel for his workstation, which was larger once I was done. The cabinets were all dark wood, with carvings representing different fruits, flowers, and trees, as well as fairies, which were known to inhabit the elven forests before being displaced by the haze.

With winter coming, I kept the colors pale even though the gremlins wanted them neon.

I can't say they didn't get their way in some things, but those little happy accidents made the castle feel homier than anything else.

There was also new silverware and plates, along with new gadgets I designed with Jack, using my memory from my other world. I never thought I would see an incubus have a moment with a kitchen, but it was love at first sight for him, especially the new spatulas and whisk I had made for him in mind.

Using a fork was fun, but it was tiresome to whip egg whites with them. For Rizak, it was all about restoring rather than changing. Though I changed the burnt curtains, placing some beautiful snow-white ones that matched him perfectly.

Designs of the stars were also all over the walls, bringing the room closer to its celestial vibes. When I was done, the owl's eyes sparkled. The walls were also deep blue to match his aesthetic of the cosmos.

Nyla's room was the only one I did light pink at her request. However, I modeled it to resemble a flower. When we got to Brielle's room, it was an utter mess. No one had ever been there in centuries, yet I remodeled it to look simple.

The wolf and I had never gotten along, but she was devoted to Finn.

For so long, I thought you were a scorned lover when you were his cousin and knight. Thank you for fighting for him for so long.

I left some pretty feminine colors and wolf sculptures around. With the endless mana demons had, they didn't even want to be compensated for their work.

"Anything for our lord and lady," they reassured me.

Yet the entire ordeal left a nasty feeling in my stomach. It was like I used them, but they assured me they wanted to help, which took me a while to get comfortable. With that, we were done—all but the restricted areas, such as where Finn was with his generals and one room.

It wasn't limited to me, but it was the one in front of me. Before calling it a day, I asked everyone to make extra things I wanted for the room we didn't touch. After seeing them off, I took a shower, readying myself for the date I would have.

Walking to the room in front of mine, I opened it before using a lantern to light the room to see if it was clean. No one had used this room in years, as Finn's scent was nowhere to be found. Heck, my room had more of him than this one did.

I closed the door and headed towards the bed before placing a dragon figurine on it. It wasn't one of Finn's, but his familiar. Jack had made it for me with my guidance as I tried to recall Felix from my memories.

Sitting on his bed, I gazed out towards the window. Solas lay in front of me, resting his head on my lap. All that was left was for the demon lord to find me, which wouldn't take long.