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Alyx's story spoiler
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— OK, weirdo, enough fun, relax, I’m right here with you, — Alyx said with a strangely condescending yet kind smirk.
She stood behind him, almost merging with his body, like in those ghost movies.
As the symbols started forming a circle, a faint glow began to seep from them. With another stroke, the light grew brighter. It looked like a laser beam cutting through a dusty room or a spotlight at a concert when a fog machine was on.
Their friends’ jaws dropped.
— Holy shit! — Emily blurted out, making Stephen’s shock even greater. Considering they couldn’t see Alyx, for them, it was just their friend doing all of this.
Leo himself was in complete shock—he had never seen anything like this, let alone done it.
— That’s enough! — Alyx suddenly snapped, and she began crossing out the runes. The glow instantly faded.
She covered the symbols with paint until they disappeared entirely, blending into the wall. No one would ever be able to tell what had just happened.
— What was that?!
— How should I know?! — Leo stared in shock at the spot where the glowing runes had been just seconds ago.
— That’ll do, — Alyx said with satisfaction. — We’re going to need paints like these. You’ll have to carry them with you at all times. — Her voice shifted back to its usual commanding, instructive tone.
— By the way, I like yellow, — she added with a playful, almost flirtatious smile at Leo.
— That was the beginning of demon banishment runes. Don't make that surprised face! It doesn’t suit you. You might start looking smart. — She scoffed.
— She says they were demon banishment runes, — Leo repeated to his friends, glancing over his shoulder.
— Coooool, — Emily drawled. — Can she do it again?
Alyx shook her head and stuck out her tongue.
— If she can, she clearly doesn’t want to, — Leo sighed. — She just does whatever she wants.
— Alright, let’s get back to work, — he said, irritation and disappointment creeping into his voice as he flexed his hand, still staring at it.
This was the first time she had taken control of his body—partially, at least. It was a strange sensation. Both humiliating and oddly comforting. A feeling of no longer being alone on the deepest level.
Maybe Alyx felt the same at that moment, which was why, for once, she wasn’t as sharp as usual.
The guys quickly got back to work, still discussing what had happened. Steven wondered if they could now make glowing advertisements with the paint, but Alyx told him not to even dream about it. Losing interest in the conversation, she wandered off, exploring the area. From time to time, she would freeze, like an animal sensing something, carefully listening and glancing at the corner of a building or up at its roof.
As they headed back to the subway, she whispered to Leo, —"I think we weren’t alone back there."
—"You think it was the police or a security guard?"
—"Doubtful. More likely, someone is spying on you. Could’ve been our mutual acquaintance from the institute."
—"Edward?"
Alyx’s ears twitched in surprise. "How do you know his name?"
—"Pffft, everyone knows. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s a local celebrity. All the girls chase after him. I’ve known about him for a while. Just never imagined he was a demon and not just some show-off."
—"I don’t see why," she muttered, but Leo noticed her ears flatten slightly in embarrassment.
Leo asked his friends if he could take the leftover paint, if they didn’t mind. He had no money for new ones, but Alyx insisted he needed them. His friends didn’t care, so he dug through Steven’s backpack, picking out the heaviest, and therefore fullest, cans. He also found a gold-yellow one, hoping to please his companion.
After that, they parted ways, agreeing to split the money the next day when the client paid for the mural.
It was just past midnight, and Leo barely caught the last train.
They sat together in an entirely empty subway car. Leo didn’t notice how sleep started creeping up on him, and without realizing it, he rested his head on Alyx’s shoulder.
She glanced down at him with her usual smug expression but said nothing and didn’t wake him.
When they were nearing their stop, she first gently pushed his head away, then jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
Leo jolted awake in shock, let out a yelp, and frantically looked around.

— Are you crazy!? — Leo said indignantly, calming down once he remembered they were alone in the subway car.
Alyx smirked, satisfied with her little prank, and jerked her head toward the door.— "Our stop, weakling."
Leo just hissed under his breath. He liked her boldness—it fit well with her animalistic features and habits. But sometimes, she really pushed the limits.
They walked slowly down the dark street, cutting across the field Alyx was now familiar with.
—"Do you even get tired?" Leo asked.
—"Of you? Constantly," she shot back with a teasing grin. —"Yeah, I’m not a superhero. I don’t need sleep, I don’t need food, but I can’t sprint after a truck for a hundred miles like the Terminator. I can get mentally exhausted, and when that happens, I need to rest. It’s kind of like your sleep, but instead of just blacking out, I visit other worlds, other realities, even other people’s dreams. It’s more like meditation. Not physically, just mentally."
She stretched with a yawn.— "Although… sometimes my past life kicks in, and mixed with old habits, it feels more like real sleep."
Remembering what she’d said about superheroes, Leo suddenly realized he had never actually asked about the extent of her abilities.
—"So, where’s the limit to what you can do?"
—"Honestly? Not as impressive as you probably think," she turned her head toward him. "It’s kind of like the difference between house cats, cheetahs, and humans. I can jump high and run fast. I can use my tail in a fight. My paws give me more range and power in my strikes. But that’s about it. I’m better than humans at these things, sure, but that’s mostly just because of how my body is built. Nothing supernatural."
—"Ah, but," she added with a dreamy smile, —"I am very flexible now… and I can stretch a little."
Then she deliberately struck a suggestive pose, making Leo flush in embarrassment.
— "And the runes? Magic?"
— "That’s more of a tool." Alyx shrugged. —"Our world doesn’t have magic like your Harry Potter. It’s more like the rules of the game or your programming. When the conditions are met and the symbol is drawn, it triggers a specific effect. But those effects are very limited."
"We can’t resurrect the dead, turn people into dragons, or conjure water out of thin air. We can’t even heal wounds. We get sick and injured just like you do."
They walked in silence for a while as Leo processed everything she had said. Suddenly, she seemed much more grounded, much less divine—she had weaknesses, flaws, and limits just like anyone else.
— "But… can you even be hurt?"— he asked, referring to the strange properties of her body.
Alyx smirked and gave him a sly glance.
— "Yes and no. I can be separated from my host,"— she said matter-of-factly.— "by my host's death."
Leo swallowed hard.
— "And then I’d have to find another one, wander this world as a disembodied spirit, or leave it entirely. I can be stunned for a while, and, like I said before, I can get exhausted."
She shot him a mischievous grin.— "For example, from your endless questions."
By the time they reached Leo’s apartment, it was well past midnight.
He tossed his stuff into the corner as he kicked off his shoes. Without even bothering to change, he collapsed onto his mattress, dragging the blanket over himself. Within seconds, he was out cold.
Alyx lingered for a moment, tilting her head slightly as if feeling a twinge of sympathy for him. She glanced around, her feline instincts making sure there was no one else in the room. Then, quietly, she lay down next to Leo, pressing her back against him so his arms could wrap around her. With a slow, deliberate motion, she curled her massive tail around both of them.
For a few seconds, she wondered why she suddenly felt such a strange wave of affection toward this boy.
But before she could think too much about it, exhaustion from the long day pulled her mind into its own journey through other worlds.