Two Worlds

I can't remember the last time I slept so peacefully. I wake up without any tangled emotions, completely clear-headed. I look forward to the simple, unhurried morning pleasure of coffee.

As I come downstairs, I immediately notice Cody seated at one of the tables. Our eyes briefly meet, he offers a slight smile and turns away. He's deeply engaged in conversation with Kaja. For some reason, I find myself fixated and absentmindedly placing my hand on my chest.

Memories from yesterday replay in my mind, but as my heart skips a beat, I shake off the feeling and focus on preparing breakfast.

"Nearly done," Kaja exclaims enthusiastically after a minute.

I have no clue what she's talking about so I slowly approach their table.

"What are you done with?" I ask puzzled.

On the table lie two white paper sheets, pencils, an eraser, and a pile of shavings. Upon closer inspection, I realize these are sketches of demons we allowed to escape yesterday. They are meticulously drawn and detailed like photographs.

"Excellent work," I commend through clenched teeth. "Just looking at them makes my fists itch. When did you become this skilled?"

Kaja often drew sketches of escaped or unidentified demons so we have some kind of clue. However, her drawings usually fell short, so I'm genuinely surprised by this sudden improvement.

"Cody drew these. Turns out, he's incredibly talented," Kaja says proudly. "I gave him only a brief description and he portrayed them perfectly."

I look at the sketches again and agree that Cody did an impressive job. I smile and playfully mess with Kaja's hair.

"Learn from the best."

I glance at Cody. He's staring back at me, his expression a mix of confusion and hesitation. Unsure how to break the tension, I smile and leave the table.

*

I'm not hungry, so I made myself a cup of coffee and headed downstairs to the basement. Since it's the most quiet place in this house, I take my time to think and prepare for training.

I trace my fingers around the rim of the ceramic cup and take a small sip. I took the sketches with me and glued them to the wall. I silently analyze them for quite a while

While it's progress, the situation now feels even more daunting. Besides the sketches, there's no other information. No names, surnames, or addresses. We only have faces and nobody knows where to find them.

"Playing detectives?" an unexpected guest breaks my concentration.

I turn my head to see Cody standing in the doorway. It's his first time in the basement and his eyes scan the surroundings with curiosity.

"At least we are," I reply with a smile.

"I'm not saying I'll go smashing demons' heads, but I can contribute with ideas or maybe a couple of extra eyes or hands," Cody unexpectedly declares. "There's no need to isolate me from these things."

I stare at him, taken aback by his serious and confident demeanor. I'm not sure how to respond. I already know that intimidating this guy isn't easy, but I certainly didn't expect him to offer his help.

"You're quite peculiar," I say with a smirk. "What else can you do?"

"Interested in finding out?" Cody asks as he shrugs off his denim jacket.

He casually walks over to the side where the mattresses are. I realize where this is going.

"Getting ready to have your ass kicked by a non-demon?" I chuckle.

"I don't think you understand how difficult it is to fight them without special powers," He says, grabbing elastic bands to wrap around his wrists. "Physical strength is my only weapon."

"Is that a challenge?" I raise an eyebrow.

Cody nods calmly. Intrigued, I nod.

"Alright, let's give it a try."

We both focus, and I raise my fists in a defensive stance. Beneath the waves of his brown hair, Cody's eyes flicker with mischief. I crack a little smile.

I brace myself for his first strike, expecting an amateurish attack that's easy to block. However, I receive a precise and powerful blow. I deflect his series of strikes and switch to attacking. My punches are faster and stronger, but he holds his ground impressively. I only manage to graze his side once.

Smiling, Cody steps back a bit. I lunge again and we exchange a few more blows. Perhaps, he's more of an enthusiast than a professional. These thoughts lead to a crucial mistake. As I relax for a split second, Cody seizes the opportunity. He turns around and delivers a sharp kick to my stomach. Doubling over, I gasp for breath.

"Timeout," I straighten up, pleasantly surprised. "I admit, I underestimated you too soon."

Cody smiles contentedly and brushes aside the strands of hair that had fallen onto his forehead.

"Not bad," Arthur unexpectedly interjects and grins at me. "I've been waiting to see you get your ass kicked for a while."

Cody chuckles quietly and modestly nods.

"Lucky you," I mutter nonchalantly.

I'm not feeling hurt at all. I'm relieved that Cody has a few useful skills up his sleeve.

"He could join our training sessions," Arthur suddenly suggests. "Learning new self-defense techniques wouldn't hurt."

I turn my head to Cody.

"What do you think?" I ask with a smile.

"As long as I'm not a bother," He scratches the back of his neck and shrugs.

"Great. You've got some interesting tricks there," Arthur remarks, raising a thumb in approval.

My mouth almost hangs open. For the first time, Arthur praises Cody without any reservations. They exchange glances and chuckle softly. As they share a moment, I briefly lose track of their conversation and drift into my thoughts.

A strange warmth envelops me. No matter how much we resist or deny it, Cody is slowly but surely becoming a part of our lives. These two worlds intertwine, weaving something new. This encounter is altering the course of events that seemed predestined and something tells me it will be incredibly challenging to undo it all.