Demons Beside You

Everyone squeezed into Fali’s car and drove to Chen Zhao’s house.

“Drink this. You’re fine.” Chen Zhao handed a cup of calming tea to Chris.

“Thanks.” Chris accepted the cup.

“Chris, after I sent you back, I went to find you again the next day, but you weren’t there already. I asked David to help me find you. Where were you these days?”

“The church,” Chris replied.

“Chen, what was that thing?” Right now, Sienna was most concerned about Dagon Biros. She’d never felt so powerless and clueless before.

“Demon,” Chen Zhao replied simply. “More specifically, it’s a Reflection Demon.”

“Where’s Nance right now?” Chris asked further. “Is he controlled by that demon?”

“Yes.” Blackie had told him. Chen Zhao continued, “The Reflection Demon uses a medium to project into the human world. What we saw earlier wasn’t his true form. The demon that looks like a mountain goat is actually controlled by the Reflection Demon. Chris’ ex is the same. The Reflection Demon can possess humans to control their souls, and then use that soul to possess past friends and family. He’ll keep receiving souls as long as the medium remains.”

“By medium, do you mean the mirror?”

“Yes, but not the mirror you saw earlier. The mirror that Chris and her ex got is actually the medium’s reflection. That’s why it can never be destroyed.” Chen Zhao was only repeating Blackie’s explanation. “The medium only exists in the reflection’s world, which is where we’d entered. You can only truly destroy the medium there.”

“So you’re saying that the demon personally destroyed the medium? If he didn’t let us go... If you went in, then we’d be powerless against him?”

Chen Zhao shook his head. “The Reflection Demon isn’t as strong as you think. He was just using his own abilities to make the reflection the same as the outside world. He could make copies of you all with the same compatibility.”

“What’s compatibility?”

“For example, if he copies something, his copy can’t go against what the original does. Another example, if a loving couple enters the reflection world, he can use the copied wife to kill the actual wife, but the copied wife to kill the actual husband or the copied husband to kill the wife. This is what compatibility is. If he goes against this law, then his abilities will become ineffective.”

Sienna understood immediately why the copy would recover its original appearance. He didn’t know that Yiberg was her father. No matter how their relationship was, they were still family. Even the copy wouldn’t be willing to hurt his daughter. This was the so-called compatibility.

“Earlier, you said that the black mountain goat demon Dagon Biros isn’t the true Reflection Demon. Then, is the Reflection Demon still alive?”

After this paranormal event, Chris was left with trauma. She was afraid that the Reflection Demon would come back for revenge.

“He’s still alive, but he isn’t in the human world. His true form can’t enter the human world and his medium has been destroyed. As long as no one makes another medium, he’ll never be able to affect the human world, let alone take revenge on you.”

“Since the medium existed, then someone must have created it, right? What if someone else makes one?”

“That medium has a history of more than a century. Its creator is long dead. You don’t have to worry. Plus, if the Reflection Demon wants revenge, it’ll come for me first.”

Hearing Chen Zhao’s reply, Chris was finally relieved.

“Then, what about them?” Sienna pointed at the playing animals. “What exactly are Beelzebub and the others?”

“My pets. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Pets? Do you think I’m blind?”

“Well, they’re my pets right now.”

“Then where did you learn your magic? Is it some oriental magic?”

“Chinese people call magic ‘fashu’ right?” David commented. “Beelzebub must be divine beasts. I did my research.”

“Research? You?”

“Of course. Chen and I are friends. I have to understand Chen.”

“Is oriental magic really this powerful?”

Sienna had been dealt a blow. After all, she’d been helped by Chen Zhao twice. In fact, she could say that she’d been saved twice. Each time had been more dangerous than the last, but Chen Zhao had taken care of them easily.

“Chen, where’s the gold? Are you going to take it for yourself?” Sienna stared at Chen Zhao with shining eyes.

Chen Zhao’s expression was dark. “The gold was part of the medium. It was destroyed along with the medium.”

“Hey! That gold is worth more than $10,000! How could you do that?”

“Sienna, it’s okay,” David comforted. “That gold was cursed.”

“If you give me the gold, I won’t care if it’s cursed.”

Sienna was sad, but Chen Zhao was even more pained. The gold had been eaten by the mouth on his hand. More than 200 grams of gold was worth at least $10,000.

Chen Zhao still wasn’t sure what the mouth was used for. The only thing he was sure about was that Beelzebub Zofee had given it to him.

“Chen, I can go find you if I run into these things again, right?” Chris looked at him with teary eyes.

“If you need a doctor, I’m happy to help. But if you need to exorcise evil spirits or demons, please ask Sienna. I’m an amateur.”

Knock, knock—

Knocks sounded at that time. Everyone exchanged glances. It was already two in the morning. Who would come?

After opening the door, they realized it was Leonardo.

“Leon, how come you’re here?”

“I was patrolling and saw that your light is still on, so I came to look.”

“Come in.” Chen Zhao moved aside. “Do you usually patrol by yourself? Where’s your partner?”

“My previous partner quit and they haven’t assigned me a new one. I hope it’ll be a beauty.”

When Leonardo entered the living room and saw everyone, he gaped.

“Let me introduce everyone. David, he’s a cop too. This is Leonardo. He’s in charge of Mountain Town’s security.”

“Hey, come sit down. You’re Chen’s friend too?” David tossed Leonardo a can of beer.