I munch slowly on the protein bar, and though filling for the moment, my mind can't help but conjure up pictures of sumptuous dinners, a nice steak, maybe roast potatoes and some greens—but mostly steak. Oh, my. I take another bite and imagine the taste of juicy beef flooding my mouth.

Soon.

After we're done here, we must have a celebratory dinner. And if Thea can't eat the meat, then more for me. I smile cheekily to myself.

Maybe I should have packed more than one bar. I'm clearly too hungry if I'm already dreaming up these types of scenarios.

Just as I'm about to eat the last bite, the typical demon smell hits my nostrils. The food barely goes down my throat. I gag a couple of times as I try to swallow everything before our guest makes his appearance. God, but this smell is really something. For as long as I live, I don't think I'll be able to delete it from my olfactory memory. It's right there with the smell of death at the hacienda.

The air, too, becomes colder and thicker, so much so it's increasingly harder to breathe.

I stuff the packaging of the bar in my pocket as I get into position, knowing that the demon is not far behind.

A sudden noise erupts in the middle of the auditorium, and the demon appears in his full monstrous appearance.

This is the first time I see him fully as he walks toward me. Yet there's something different about him than before. His arm has healed, and his face now has eyes.

Where did that come from?

His teeth are still the same rotten yellow that gives off toxic fumes, but his face resembles more of a human face. His body is semi-naked, his skin a rusty, peeling color, almost as if he's about to shed a layer. As he walks closer, I note he did shed parts of his skin, the remaining tissue looking normal and healthy.

Thea had mentioned that there are levels to demons, and the more souls they ingest, the more humanoid-like they become, losing their monstrous appearance for a normal one. Is this what's happening? Did the demon consume more souls? When? From where?

As he steps toward me, I note that it's an ongoing process. He's continuously developing. Oh, God. Does this mean he's more powerful now? If so, what does that mean for us?

Panic grips me as the demon approaches. But when he's a few meters away from me, he suddenly stops, his eyes on the black circle around me. He snarls at me, the power of his breath almost knocking me over—and making me double over from the smell.

"Easy, buddy," I murmur as I hold on to my balance.

His nostrils flare as he glares at me, but suddenly, he tilts his head to the side, sniffing the air.

What...