007.

"Zero! Hey Zero! Wake up!"

Echo hit the back of his head and Zero shook his head and looked at her.

"You need something Echo?"

"Are you okay? You seem distracted today."

"Am fine I just had a bad dream yesterday."

"You want to talk about it? Maybe it'll help."

Zero looked at her and a small smile formed on his lips but he shook his head.

"I'll tell you later," he said and Echo nodded, gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and walked back to her desk.

At noon, Echo was seated on the edge of the rooftop overlooking the distance. She took in a deep breathe and exhaled slowly. The wind blew her hair back and she closed her eyes living in the moment. Her quietness and peace was however short lived when something nudged her softly. She opened her eyes and looked around but saw nothing.

"Hmm .. did I imagine that?"

Shrugging it off, she stood up and walked back to the office where she busied herself filing documents.

"Let's go eat out," Zero said plopping up beside Echo as she finished packing her bag.

"I think I'll pass. Maybe some other time?"

"I'll hold you up for that," he said and bid her farewell as he walked out of the office.

"Hmm.. I thought I gave Dexter this document."

She picked up the file and made her way to Dexter's office. She knocked lightly but got no response. After knocking twice, she opened the door to find Dexter perched up on the chair fast asleep.

"S.. sir?"

Dexter's eyes flew open and turned to Echo who was walking away from him fear in her eyes.

"Echo? What are you..." he stopped mid sentence once he realized what was wrong.

"M.. m... monster!" Echo shouted, threw the papers to the floor and made a run for it.

She ran out of the building ignoring Dexter's shouts behind her. When the adrenaline washed off from her system she was a few feet away from her house. She sat down on the stone hedge and looked at the sky. She took in numerous breathes to calm her beating heart. She wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a sigh.

"Dexter.. he had.. horns?"

A few minutes passed and soon the cold night wind blew and Echo shivered.

"Well then, let's get home," she said to herself and quickly walked to her house.

After a warm bath, she hang a towel over her shoulder and made herself a cup of warm cocoa. She brought the steaming cup to her lips, blew on it and took a sip the warmth warming her almost instantly.

After finishing her drink, she made her way to her bedroom and sat on the bed pondering over the events that had occurred during the day.

"Dexter.. what was he? Was he really a demon? Maybe it was a cosplay."

She lay back on her pillows and seconds later drifted off to sleep from exhaustion.

"Good morning Zero," Echo greeted him at the company gates.

"Echo, morning."

Chatting and laughing they both made their way into the building and to their offices. As Echo settled in on her desk, Dexter walked in his authoritative aura emitting from his posture.

"Echo!"

"Sir?"

"We have the meeting with the advertisement company (A.D.C) , I need you to write the minutes during the meeting. Can you do that?"

"Hmm.. what? Oh yeah I can do it," she said and lowered her gaze to the ground.

Dexter looked at her with a raised brow, shrugged her off and walked away. Echo slumped back down on the chair and let out a deep sigh.

"I almost got caught staring at him," she said and covered her face in her hands," am so embarrassed."

"You okay?"

Echo's hands dropped from her face and she turned to look at him.

"Am fine," she said and sat upright in her seat.

Zero shrugged and turned to walk away when Echo grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"Zero, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Um.." she shuffled her feet nervously trying to find the right words to ask.

As she mumbled inaudibly, a fellow worker walked into sight and pat Zero's arm.

"Echo, I need to go. Talk to you later," he said and walked away with the worker.

Echo let out a sigh and lay her head on the pile of documents.

"I can't ask him that. Never mind I'll go tell aunt Ophelia she'll know what to do. She always does."

With renewed hope, she quickly got to work and soon the day went by without much incident or surprises.

".... that will be all," the client said and sat down.

"Your proposals are enticing. I'll go over them and contact you after a while," Dexter said and stood up.

"Thank you sir," they all said in unison before walking out the door.

Echo put her pen down and stretched her worn out muscles.

"Well then, let's get us some special Ophelia stew," she said to herself as she quickly packed her stuff.

On her way out, she walked past Dexter's office. She stopped and stared at the door lost in thought.

"Do you want to talk to Dexter?"

Echo jumped back in fright and Zero chuckled into the back of his hand.

"You're pretty jumpy today," he said and Echo angrily stomped away from him.

"Dammit! That bastard scared the living hell out of me," she said to herself as she walked to Ophelia's restaurant.

"Hello my dear," Ophelia greeted her and Echo's nerves relaxed at the sound of her voice.

"Hey aunt, one of your special stew please," she said and Ophelia chuckled.

"Wait a moment."

Echo smiled and sat down at the table beside the cart watching her aunt slice and mix the ingredients.

"You're really great at that aunt. You look like a magician," she said and Ophelia let out a quiet laughter.

She poured the stew into a bowl and handed Echo the steaming bowl. She then pulled the seat back and sat opposite her. Echo blew onto the soup and brought the spoon to her mouth.

"Mmh.. delicious as always," she said and Ophelia shook her head at her.

"No one appreciates my food as much as you my dear."

"Well, they don't know what they are missing. No one can make anything as delicious as you my lovely aunt."

"How was work today?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," she said eating a spoonful," but something weird happened yesterday."

"How weird?"

"Very weird."

"Weirder than when you and your imaginary boyfriend got married?"

"Aunt!"

Echo's cheeks heated up in embarrassment and Ophelia chuckled before petting her head.

"You were so cute back then," she said and Echo looked at her.

A tear drop slid down her cheek and she stretched out her hand and gently wiped the tear away.

"Don't cry aunt. You know I hate seeing you like this."

Ophelia leaned into her touch and smiled warmly.

"It's late, let's head home."

Echo nodded and helped her tidy up am close the cart. The moon shone brightly as the two walked side by side on their way home.

"The sky's beautiful tonight," Ophelia said and Echo followed her gaze and looked at the starry sky.

"Um aunt, do you by any chance believe in... demons?"

Ophelia turned her gaze from the sky to her.

"Demons?"

"Yeah. Do you think they... I don't know... maybe, exist?"

"Of course. Nothing is not real and neither is it real in this world," she said and Echo looked at her confused.

"Mmh.. maybe you're right. Demons don't exist."

"It all depends on your beliefs my dear child. They can exist or not."

Echo rubbed the back of her head and the two walked in silence for the remaining distance to Ophelia's house. Once at the house, Echo bid her aunt goodnight and walked up to her room.

"Did she accidentally meet a demon?" Ophelia mumbled to herself before walking away to her own room.

Images of Dexter played continuously in Echo's head and she opened her eyes chest heaving as she gasped for air. She sat up in bed her breathes loud in the dark room, she got down from the bed and headed to the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and on her way back to her room, she heard strange noises coming from Ophelia's room. Curiosity getting the best of her, she tip toed towards her room and pressed her ear against the door.

"Is she singing?"

Slowly, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

"Aunt?"

She stood frozen in place and Ophelia chuckled and called her over to her side.

"Come my dear," she said.

Slowly, as if under an enticing spell, her feet walked towards her and she sat beside her.

"Aunt?"

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

She slowly nodded and looked her up and down.

"If you have any questions dear, just ask. No need to be wary of me."

"Um.. aunt, what are you exactly?"