Chapter 4: Nox, the First Demon of This World...

Nox opened his eyes as the warmth of the fireplace brushed against his face.

For a few seconds, he remained still, confused.

Then he remembered where he was.

Nox let out a small sigh as he shifted beneath the furs covering him on the couch.

Far more comfortable than freezing to death on a mountain.

He lifted his head slightly and looked around the cabin.

Elsa stood in front of a pot hanging over the fire, stirring something while the smell of fish and spices filled the air.

Sienna had just walked in carrying more firewood over one shoulder.

Nox still couldn’t get used to how massive these women were.

The woman dropped the wood beside the fireplace and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Looks like you’re already making yourself at home."

Nox yawned slightly.

"If I had a way to pay you for letting me stay here, I would."

Sienna let out a small laugh as she added more wood to the fire.

"If it weren’t for my sister Audrey, you’d probably still be sleeping in the snow."

Elsa looked up from the pot.

"Don’t bully the little demon."

"I’m not bullying him."

Nox looked around for a few seconds.

"...Where’s Audrey?"

Elsa resumed stirring the food.

"She went to gather the last few things we need for dinner."

Nox nodded.

It still felt strange to think someone would casually walk out into a snowstorm to look for food like it was nothing.

Sienna started placing dishes on the wooden table.

Then she looked back at Nox.

"Are you planning to sit there forever, or are you going to help with something?"

Nox blinked.

"...Help?"

"Yeah. Moving your body. Those kinds of things."

Nox made a slight face.

"I don’t usually set the table."

Sienna raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"No. When I arrive, the food is usually already served."

Elsa burst out laughing.

"How useless."

"Hey!"

Sienna started laughing too.

"Come on. It’s not that hard."

Nox sighed in annoyance before getting up from the couch.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Sienna pointed toward a small cabinet beside the fireplace.

"Hand me the hollow horns."

Nox turned his gaze.

Several cups made from polished beast horns rested on top of the cabinet.

Nox picked one up with his tiny hands.

"...These actually look pretty expensive."

Sienna looked amused.

"Expensive?"

"Yeah. In my world, these would sell really well."

Elsa smiled while continuing to cook.

"Your world had horn cups?"

"My adoptive father’s rich friends would buy something like this just to show off."

Sienna grabbed a few of the cups while shaking her head.

"Nobles always buy weird things."

Suddenly...

RRRHHHNNN...

A strange sound came from behind the door.

Like a small growl mixed with a whine.

Elsa frowned.

"Don’t tell me..."

The door suddenly burst open.

A blast of freezing air entered the cabin together with Audrey.

And in her arms...

There was a small four-armed bear.

Nox’s eyes widened instantly.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

The little monster let out a strange sound while Audrey calmly held it.

Elsa released a tired sigh.

"You’re bringing animals home again."

Sienna crossed her arms.

"Wasn’t the little demon enough already?"

"WHY AM I THE EXAMPLE?!"

Audrey let out a small laugh while closing the door with her foot.

"Don’t be mean to Nox."

The little bear slowly moved its head while sniffing the warm air inside the cabin.

Audrey walked toward the fireplace.

"Looks like we left this little guy without a family."

The other two sisters looked at her.

"I found him crying beside the corpse of the bear we hunted."

Audrey’s expression softened slightly.

"So it’s our responsibility to give him a home."

Nox stared directly at the furry creature.

’...That monster is definitely going to try eating me while I sleep.’

The cub slowly turned its head toward him.

Nox immediately took a step back.

"Keep that beast away from me."

Audrey laughed.

"He won’t do anything."

"That’s exactly what I thought about the big one."

Elsa burst out laughing again.

"You’re traumatised."

"I almost died!"

Audrey sat beside the fireplace with the small bear resting on her lap.

"We need to give him a name."

Sienna dropped herself into a chair.

"I’m not helping."

Elsa nodded.

"Me neither."

Audrey made a small pout.

"You two are mean."

The cub let out a tiny growl while trying to bite one of Audrey’s leather straps.

Nox immediately pointed at its paws.

"The important thing is keeping those claws away from me."

Audrey blinked for a few seconds.

Then she smiled.

"Then I’ll call him Claws."

Nox stared at her in horror.

Elsa burst into laughter once again.

Meanwhile, Sienna finished arranging the plates on the table.

Nox helped carry the horn cups while continuing to watch the little monster suspiciously.

When everyone finally started sitting down, Nox looked back at Audrey. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Now that I think about it..."

The girl raised her gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you call me Nox?"

The sisters immediately exchanged looks.

Elsa let out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh no..."

Sienna rubbed her forehead.

"Here she goes again."

Audrey puffed her cheeks slightly.

"Stop making fun of me."

Then she looked back at Nox.

"It’s because of an old story."

Nox rested one arm on the table while listening.

Audrey tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before speaking.

"A very long time ago, there was a god named Nox."

Her eyes sparkled.

"The stories say he challenged the heavens."

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"And here we go..."

Audrey ignored her.

"He rebelled against the other gods and eventually became the first demon in this world."

Nox remained silent.

Sienna let out a small snort.

"They’re just religious fairy tales."

Audrey shook her head.

"Not all of them."

Elsa sat down across from them.

"You’re always reading those weird stories."

Nox stared at the fire for a few seconds.

’...A fallen god, huh.’

Near the fireplace, Claws curled up on the wooden floor and let out a yawn.

Sienna grabbed a piece of raw fish left over from cooking and tossed it toward him.

The little bear caught the food with one of his four paws and started eating.

Nox watched in surprise.

"...He doesn’t seem as bad as the other bears."

Audrey smiled softly while petting Claws on the head.

"Bears aren’t evil."

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"One of them tried to rip my head off."

"That was survival."

The fire illuminated Audrey’s gentle face.

"Nature isn’t good or evil."

Claws continued eating peacefully beside the fireplace.

"It’s just trying to survive."