Chapter 9: Not Just a Dream
Keal slowly slid down to the floor, his back against the wall, his arms folded tightly over his head. He wasn't even sure how he got there. One second Enzo had whispered something that shook him to his core, and the next his body had dropped like it had given up on trying to stand. This couldn't be real. It shouldn't be real.
The Demon King—the Demon King—was sitting on his bed like it was the most casual thing in the world. And Keal was just supposed to pretend that was fine? That it wasn't a big deal?
Enzo looked calm. Too calm. He slowly scanned the room like he was inspecting a new apartment, his gaze drifting over the books on the desk, the tiny window by the bed, the closet door that wouldn't close properly. His long fingers brushed over the edge of Keal's pillow as he sat down, making himself comfortable.
Keal peeked through his arms, watching him. He couldn't decide if he was more angry, scared, or confused. Probably all three.
"You can stop looking at me like I'm going to eat you," Enzo said suddenly, not even looking up. He picked up one of Keal's books, flipping it open. "I told you, I'm not here to hurt you. Besides..." He finally looked up and grinned. "We're kind of the same. One and the same, remember?"
Keal blinked. "What does that even mean?" His voice cracked a little.
Enzo closed the book with a soft thud and placed it back on the bed beside him. "You'll figure it out. Eventually. Or maybe you already know, and you're just scared to say it out loud."
Keal slowly stood up. His legs felt weak, but he forced himself to walk closer. His eyes were red, his head pounding. He had been holding in too much. This wasn't just about fear anymore. It was frustration. It was exhaustion. It was the fact that nothing made sense and no one else could see what he saw.
He stopped in front of Enzo, just a few feet away. "Why are you here?"
Enzo tilted his head slightly, like he was waiting for Keal to say something else. When nothing came, he stood up too. They were face to face again, barely an inch apart.
"You ask that like it's a bad thing," Enzo murmured.
Keal tensed. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to." Enzo slowly raised a hand, fingers moving toward Keal's face, but Keal grabbed his wrist before he could touch him.
"Don't," Keal said, firmer than he expected.
Enzo smirked and lowered his hand. "There he is," he said softly. "The version of you I like better. The one that stands up. Not the scared little shadow you pretend to be."
Keal scowled. "What are you talking about?"
Enzo leaned in close, close enough for Keal to feel the warmth of his breath. He whispered, "You don't remember yet. But you will. And when you do, you'll stop asking all these pointless questions. They don't suit you."
That pushed Keal too far.
He grabbed Enzo by the collar and shoved him against the wall, not even thinking. His breath came fast, his hands trembling. "Enough! I want answers. I deserve answers. What do you want from me? Why are you really here? Stop acting like you know me!"
Enzo didn't fight back. He just looked at Keal with a small, almost knowing smile. "You already know what I want."
The door suddenly creaked open.
Keal turned his head quickly, still holding Enzo in place. Linda stood in the doorway, wide-eyed.
"Keal?" she said slowly. "What—what's going on?"
He immediately let go of Enzo, stepping back like he had just been caught doing something illegal.
"Linda, it's not what it looks like," he said, voice awkward, panicked. "I—I was just…"
She looked from him to Enzo, then back to him. Her expression was hard to read. A mix of confusion, suspicion, and something else.
"I was worried," she said finally. "You left class so fast, and you didn't come back. I thought something happened."
Keal scratched the back of his neck, glancing nervously at Enzo who had returned to his relaxed position against the wall, arms folded, watching the whole thing like it was a movie.
"I'm okay," Keal said quietly. "Thanks for checking, but... I think I need some space right now."
Linda hesitated. She opened her mouth to say something, maybe to argue, but then stopped herself. Her eyes lingered on Enzo again.
"You sure?" she asked.
"Yeah," Keal nodded. "I'm fine. Just need a minute."
Linda nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Keal walked over to the door and gently closed it behind her. The second the click of the latch echoed through the room, he turned around and stared at Enzo.
Enzo hadn't moved. Still leaning. Still smirking.
"Well, that was awkward," Enzo said casually.
Keal exhaled sharply and shook his head. "You don't belong here."
Enzo shrugged. "Maybe not. But I'm here anyway. And like it or not, this is your mess too. So I guess we're stuck with each other."
Keal didn't answer. He walked to his bed, sat down heavily, and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. His brain felt fried. Too many thoughts, too many questions, too many feelings all clashing at once. He wasn't sure which one to deal with first.
Enzo pushed off the wall and moved toward the window. He pulled back the curtain a bit and looked outside.
"This world… it's changed so much," he said quietly. "And yet, some things still feel the same. Like you."
Keal looked up. "Stop talking like you know me."
Enzo turned his head slightly. "But I do know you. Better than anyone else in this place."
"That's not possible."
"Isn't it?" Enzo smiled again, but this time it was softer. Almost sad. "Maybe you just forgot. Or maybe you chose to forget."
Keal looked down at his hands. "I don't understand you."
"You will."
They both sat in silence for a while. Keal could hear the faint voices of students passing by in the hallway, their laughter, the sound of footsteps fading. It all felt distant, like it belonged to another world.
"I don't get why you're pretending to be someone else," Keal said finally. "Why go through all this trouble? The disguise, the school, the... being my roommate?"
Enzo didn't answer immediately. He looked out the window again.
"Sometimes," he said slowly, "you have to walk through fire to find out what you're really made of. Or who you really are."
Keal scoffed. "That sounds like something you read on a cheap motivational poster."
Enzo laughed. "Maybe. But it doesn't make it less true."
Keal rubbed his face. He didn't have the energy to argue anymore. "Look, if you're gonna stay here, can you at least not mess with me every five seconds?"
Enzo turned around, hands in his pockets. "You think I'm messing with you?"
"Aren't you?"
"Maybe a little," Enzo admitted. "But not in the way you think."
Keal rolled his eyes and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "This is so messed up."
Enzo walked over and stood beside the bed, looking down at him. "You don't even know half of it yet."
Keal looked at him again. He didn't know what to believe. He didn't know who Enzo or rather the Demon king really was or what he wanted. But part of him, a part he didn't understand yet, couldn't look away.
Enzo crossed his arms, leaned casually against the desk, and said, "Get some rest, Keal. Tomorrow's going to be even weirder."
Keal didn't answer. He just watched him.
And Enzo smiled back.