[85.4] Becoming Felix

Felix found himself opening his eyes abruptly. Even though he was seeing through his eyes, he felt far away. He stared out from the disorienting tunnel vision and opened his mouth in fear, "...Hello?"

Felix felt his own mouth moving involuntarily, "Are you feeling better now?"

"What… What's happening?"

"I'm currently possessing your body."

"But…" Felix raised his arm and saw it did, "But how can I still control my body?"

"It's a shared possession. Not a complete one… If I did a complete one, I fear your body wouldn't be able to handle it."

Felix looked down at his body but was surprised to see it no longer beaten and bruised, "I'm healed? How?"

Moni answered, "It was your magic."

"What do you mean? I don't have any magic. I am completely worthless."

"...Who told you that?"

"M-My father…" He corrected himself, "The Duke."

"Hm… Well, it's not true. You had an untouched potential for healing… All I had to do was help you figure out how to manipulate it."

"You can do that? How?"

"To tell you the truth, my demonic skill is very… Unique. They called it Absorption." 

"Absorption? I've never heard of that before."

"It means that I only need to meet a person to be able to use the exact same magic as that individual."

Felix's eyes widened, "Really? That's amazing!"

"No… It's dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"This kind of power has only ever attracted the wrong attention." Moni let out an exhausted sigh, "Not to mention it fills demons and humans with disgust. One person should never have this kind of power."

"I don't find you disgusting… I think it's amazing!"

"Heh. You really think so?"

"I do!" Felix had stars in his eyes as he praised him, "It's so incredible!"

Moni felt the corners of his lips raised unconsciously, "Once I met you, I knew how to heal. Now that I am in your body, I can show you how to properly use it."

"Really?! You'll do that-" Felix suddenly paused and looked around the lavish room, "Wait… Where am I?"

"You are home."

"Home?"

"Yes. You're home. The place you've run away from."

"But…" Felix lifted up the expensive bedspread, "My room wasn't as lavish as this. I lived in the servants quarters and it had a draft and the walls weren't even painted."

"Now you don't have to worry about that. You own this house now."

"I-I do?"

"That's right. I've taken it over. The servants are all puppets. I've kept the ones who were kind to you with their own free will, but the others are mindless puppets."

Felix's face glazed over, "...But none of the servants were ever kind to me."

Moni hesitated and spoke slowly, "...I wasn't going to mention it, but it's true that I turned all of them into puppets."

Suddenly, Felix let out a giggle, "Good! I hope they stay that way forever!"

Moni was confused about the boy's lifted mood but soon understood it. He could feel the darkness of one's heart in a single glance. He knew full well the boy carried a lot of darkness in his soul… There was only one single light. And it was-

Felix jumped out of bed in a panic, "Wait! What about 'Scilla!?"

Moni spoke quickly to calm him, "She's sleeping in her room."

Felix reached up to open the door and ran down the hall to his sister's. Since he had never been in that wing of the building before, Moni had to navigate him to go the right way. One moment, Moni would control the body. The next, Felix would. Soon the two became so accustomed to it, it was like second nature.

Felix opened the door to his sister's room and rushed to her bedside. Seeing her sleeping with a peaceful expression and no signs of bruises, he let out a whimper in relief. Tears rolled down a single cheek as he started to sob.

Moni uncomfortably shifted, "W-Why are you crying?! She's alive and healthy! I didn't do anything to her!"

Felix rubbed his eyes and whimpered, "I'm just… So thankful… I really thought… I would never see my sister again…"

"O-Oh…"

Priscilla suddenly shifted in bed, pinching her eyebrows together. She hugged her pillow tightly, whimpering as tears collected on her eyelashes.

Felix was shocked to see this, "What's wrong with her?"

"It's a nightmare." Moni reached his hand out and placed it on her forehead. Priscilla's face softened as she let out a sigh of relief, "Rose says she has them often."

"Rose? Who is Rose?"

"Ah. That's my sister… She will be staying at this house with us… So will my other two sisters… I hope that is alright."

"Oh! I didn't know you had sisters."

"The two youngest have disabilities that make it impossible for them to be on their own." 

"Rose too?"

"No. She's just fussy. She doesn't think I'm capable of living without her."

"Really?"

"She's worried that I will let my other sister find me and-" Moni suddenly paused and shook his head, "I will introduce you to them all later."

"I can't wait!"