new bestie

Lior was awkwardly attempting to balance in a yoga pose when he heard Kuro's voice, bright and curious. "Hey, the person who's inside me! I wanna know about you!"

Caught off guard, Lior nearly toppled over. Wait, what? He can sense me?

"Are you like, super strong or something? I mean, you're in my head! That's pretty cool!" Kuro continued, his enthusiasm palpable. "I hope you're not some boring adult. If you are, that's just sad. But if you're not, tell me about yourself!"

Lior chuckled silently. This kid has some serious energy. I can respect that!

Kuro flipped through a book, glancing at the pages with wide eyes. "You know, I've always wondered what it's like to be someone else. I mean, you get to live inside me! That's awesome! Do you ever get to come out? Can you see what I see?"

Lior wanted to respond, to reassure Kuro that he was indeed a lot more than just a boring adult, but no words came. Instead, he focused on maintaining his balance, secretly enjoying Kuro's genuine curiosity.

"Whatever you are, I hope you're not like one of those serious heroes or something. That sounds exhausting!" Kuro added with a laugh. "Just promise you're fun! I can't stand boring!"

Lior smiled to himself, grateful for Kuro's light-hearted spirit. Kid, you have no idea how fun I can be.

Lior chuckled to himself as Kuro's voice rang out with that signature cockiness. "I will make sure to find a way to talk to you face to face—just wait!" Kuro declared, his tone dripping with confidence.

"Face to face? Well, aren't you ambitious?" Lior thought, rolling his eyes in amusement. "What do you think this is, some kind of buddy cop movie?"

"I mean, imagine it!" Kuro continued, completely unfazed by Lior's silent commentary. "We'd be the ultimate duo! You'd be the wise, experienced one, and I'd be the charming genius. Like, 'Hey, Lior, check out my awesome powers!' and you'd say, 'Wow, Kuro, how did I get so lucky to be inside such a brilliant mind?'"

Lior couldn't help but smirk at Kuro's self-importance. This kid really thinks he's all that. It's kind of cute, honestly.

"Just wait until I'm flying around with my epic wings! I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out with me?" Kuro continued, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. "You'd be like, 'Wow, I'm so glad I'm sharing my existence with this incredible being!'"

"Right, because everyone dreams of sharing their life with a five-year-old angel who thinks he's a gift to the universe," Lior mused silently, grinning at Kuro's unabashed narcissism. "Good luck with that, buddy. But hey, if you need a little guidance, I'm totally here for you."

Five more years passed, and when Lior woke up in Kuro's body, something felt off. He blinked and looked around, expecting the usual soul chamber routine. But then he saw Kuro standing right in front of him, clear as day. Lior, still in his female elf form with long white hair and pale blue eyes, stared in disbelief.

"So, you're the inner presence, huh?" Kuro smirked, his expression as cocky as ever.

Lior blinked, completely thrown off. "How… how are you here? This isn't supposed to happen."

Kuro shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Five years of research, baby! You think I wouldn't figure it out? Come on, give me some credit. It's my body after all. Had to know who's been hanging around in my head."

Lior stood there, still processing. "Wait, you did research to get here? Just to meet me?"

"Of course," Kuro said, grinning wider. "I was curious! Plus, I got tired of talking to myself. Besides, who wouldn't want to meet someone important enough to be stuck inside them?"

"Right," Lior replied dryly, "because everything's about you."

"Well, duh," Kuro said with a laugh, crossing his arms. "But now that I'm here, we can finally have some real conversations. I'm sure you've been dying to chat with me. Don't worry, I'll teach you a thing or two."

Lior shook his head, exasperated. "I've been in your head for years now. Trust me, I know enough."

Kuro, full of himself, just grinned wider. "That's right—you've been watching greatness in action. I bet you learned a lot!"

Kuro raised an eyebrow, sizing up Lior. "Wait, you've been stuck in my soul for ten years? Man, I thought you were some creepy presence just lurking, maybe a curse or a weird spirit… but you're a girl?!"

Lior smirked, arms crossed. "Disappointed? Sorry to crush your hopes of being haunted by a scary demon."

Kuro chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, I was expecting something more dramatic. But nope, I get a teenage elf girl. Life's full of surprises."

Lior rolled her eyes. "Ten years of watching you mess around, and this is the thanks I get?"

Kuro leaned back, grinning. "Hey, at least you're not an old hag. Gotta admit, you're easier on the eyes than I imagined."

Lior snorted, shaking her head. "Well, thanks for the glowing review, Your Highness."

Kuro flashed a smug smile. "What can I say? I've got good taste—even in inner presences!"

"Hey, I mean, you worked a lot on this, but I think you should never come back here," Lior said, arms crossed.

"And why's that? Am I disturbing your privacy or something?" Kuro quipped, raising an eyebrow.

"No, idiot. It's what's best for you. You might die," Lior said, genuinely concerned.

Kuro gave a casual shrug, like he wasn't fazed at all. "How do you know that?"

"I… don't know," Lior muttered, a little frustrated. She could feel it deep down, but had no idea why. There were still too many holes in her memory, and this was just another frustrating one.

"Isn't this forbidden magic you used to get here? You know, the kind where every time you pop in, you're shaving years off your life?" Lior added, trying to warn him.

Kuro chuckled. "Nah, won't happen to me. I'm an angel, remember? Whoever told you that probably belongs to a different species."

Lior's confusion deepened. "What do you mean by that?"

Kuro rolled his eyes but started explaining like he was talking to a slow learner. "Look, certain spells are only risky for certain species. This one's not dangerous for me. The origin of the spell that got you stuck here? That one's a mystery—I searched everywhere, and couldn't find a damn thing about it. But the soul chamber visiting spell? I cracked that, no sweat. Because I'm a genius, obviously," he said, with a smug grin. "And guess what? No side effects for me. This spell was made for angels."

Lior stared at him for a moment. "So, no chance of dropping dead?"

"Zero. Well, at least not from this." Kuro grinned mischievously. "I'll probably die of boredom before magic ever gets me."

Lior sighed. "Just… don't get too cocky. Being stuck here isn't exactly a vacation, and I don't want to see you find out the hard way."

Lior raised an eyebrow, amused by Kuro's stubbornness. "Don't worry, I know everything about you," he said casually. "And my name is Lior, by the way."

Kuro smirked, crossing his arms. "That's a boy's name, and you're in a female form right now. Let's choose another name for you."

Lior blinked in confusion. "Aaa… nah, I think Lior's good. I like it."

"Who's asking you?" Kuro shot back with a playful grin, clearly enjoying the banter. "I'm going to give you a name."

Lior sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this one. "Of course, you are."

"What about… Akari?" Kuro suggested, leaning in with a mischievous glint in his eye. "It means 'light,' while I'm all about that darkness. You've got glowing white hair, and I've got the dark stuff going on. It fits perfectly."

Lior rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a laugh. "Oh, so now I'm your opposite? Nice try, but I'm still keeping Lior."

"Yeah, well, you don't really have a choice," Kuro grinned back. "You can be my 'Akari' whenever I decide to summon you."

Lior took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his story. "Okay, let me fill you in on my life," he began, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I'm the result of an experiment that fused me with other species—humans, elves, shapeshifters, mermaids, and fairies."

Kuro's eyes widened. "Wait, wait! You're a mix of all those? Like a superhero or something?"

Lior chuckled, shaking his head. "More like a walking disaster. I can't just change my gender at will. It happens under specific circumstances, like when I'm stressed or confused."

"That sounds… complicated. So, you mean you can just wake up one day and be like, 'Surprise! I'm a girl now!'" Kuro laughed, incredulous.

"Not quite that dramatic, but yeah, kind of," Lior replied, smirking. "And as for my parents, they're pretty awesome. I grew up in a normal family until everything turned upside down with the discovery of that crazy experiment that messed with my life."

Kuro leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "So, you're saying you were just chilling in a normal life one day as a human, and then boom! You found out a mix of five different species? That's insane!"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a mess, to be honest," Lior admitted, running a hand through his hair. "So now I'm stuck in this strange situation, living in a cave, trying to figure out how to regain control of my powers while you—Mr. Genius—are busy cracking forbidden magic. What a combo, right?"

Kuro's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Dude, this is going to be the best adventure ever! I mean, how many people can say they're half of five different species? We've got to make this interesting!"

Time passed, and Lior and Kuro became the best of friends. Kuro's power to control darkness and shadows perfectly matched his name and looks. Lior, on the other hand, could learn and experience everything Kuro felt and mastered. It was like a buy-one-get-two-free deal; whenever Kuro practiced his shadow manipulation, Lior absorbed that knowledge alongside him.

Whenever Kuro felt bored, he would land in the soul chamber, and their conversations turned into lively debates about powers, pranks, and plans for future adventures.

"Hey, Akari," Kuro teased one day, smirking as he conjured a shadow puppet that mimicked Lior's form. "Check this out! It's you—only cooler!"

Lior laughed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. Shadow puppets are your idea of cool? I mean, I could charge you for entertainment with this stuff!"

Kuro smirked, unfazed. "You? Charge me? Please, I'm the one who's gracing you with my presence here!"

"Oh, right. Because spending time with a shadow puppet master is the highlight of my life," Lior shot back, feigning deep thought. "What a thrill!"

As they spent time together, Lior quickly learned to manipulate shadows just as Kuro did, often surprising his friend with his progress.

One day, while practicing, Kuro turned to Lior with an excited glimmer in his eyes. "Imagine if we combined our skills! You could use what you've learned about shadows to create illusions or tricks. We'd be unstoppable!"

"How can we do that? Remember, I'm stuck here in this soul chamber," Lior said, crossing his arms in mock frustration.

"That's not a problem anymore," Kuro replied, a mischievous smirk spreading across his face—the kind he wore whenever he was about to show off something impressive.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you up to?" Lior asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Worry not, my dearest Akari! Just hold my hands," Kuro said dramatically.

"I don't trust you with my hands," Lior replied teasingly, pulling back slightly.

"Hey, come on!" Kuro said, grabbing Lior's hand before he could escape.

"Now close your eyes," Kuro instructed.

"Nope, I won't do it!" Lior protested.

"No problem," Kuro said with a grin, placing his hand over Lior's eyes.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Lior exclaimed, but before he could argue further—boom!

"Open your eyes, idiot!" Kuro commanded.

"What was that?" Lior asked, slowly opening his eyes.

"Omg, we're outside! How's that possible?!" Lior exclaimed, looking around in disbelief.