“Ugh…”

All was dark until Flint painfully opened his eyes. His sight was blurry, revealing a gigantic dome ceiling above. He didn’t know where he was, all he could remember was the image of a terrifying hand snatching his leg.

“Ah, did you wake up?” a soft voice asked.

A woman sat next to him, allowing the boy to use her thighs as a pillow. Her amethyst eyes and smile combined with her delicate jawline. A white dress covered her tanned skin. Such a beautiful woman was caressing his messy brown hair. He didn’t know what happened for him to deserve it…

Horns.

They appeared! Those big and mean tusks were coming out of her silky blond hair. His breathing paused. Memories of a rabid blue woman with horns flashed in his mind.

“Are you alright?”

But before he could panic, her voice entangled him in a warm embrace. He calmed his nerves. That lady didn’t mean any harm. The sweet fragrance from her hair reminded him of strawberries. Demon or not, his heart swayed towards her lovely touch.

How beautiful: A Charming Prince holds the hand of a frail Princess, fallen to the floor as they look at each other contemplating their love at first sight. Just this time, the roles of male and female were reversed.

“Feeling well?”

The boy cherished every single moment his ears had the pleasure to hear her voice, but it was time to give a response. He cleared his throat, and opened his mouth into a hesitant “Yes…”

Sounds of high heels suddenly approached. And then, a blunt impact connected to his ribs, forcing him to take flight for a good distance. “As if I care!” The Demon Queen interrupted their eloping engagement. Although she wore high heels, her footing was strong and stable.

His flailing body collapsed into one of the many pillars from the Royal Chamber. The blonde woman gawked at the barbaric act.

“Stop!” she shouted. “Such a reckless action, what if you killed him?”

Twitching in pain, his body lay on the ground. A few broken bones were an assured diagnosis.

“Help me,” the boy uttered.

The blonde woman rushed to his side. While carefully supporting the head with her arm, she examined his body to overview the damage. Surprisingly, no injuries were to be found. His body was intact. Nothing broke, not even fractured.

“Incredible,” she said.

After being thrown like that, only scratches marked the place where he got kicked. Flint massaged himself, making sure nothing was out of place.

The Demon Queen approached. “I didn’t kick him hard.”

The blonde jutted her chin. “But even that kick could kill a human!”

“Forget it, he’s fine and can speak, that’s what matters.”

One was gentle, kind, and warm. Yet the other’s glare threatened to beat him to a pulp.

“YOU! Explain yourself! What were you doing in that room?” The Queen asked.

There was no answer, but how could the boy give one? He was dragged into his monitor, entering a world of fantasy. The situation couldn’t be more surreal, no words could describe what jolted in the little brain of his.

“Going silent then? Good.” She raised her right hand. “Isatu.” A flame emerged from her palm. Magic, it worked this time.

“I will burn you alive… Are you fine with that?”

His jaw dropped. That flame was real, he could feel its heat from the spot he sat. The blonde woman couldn’t keep watching anymore. She put herself between the two and opened her arms. “Stop this at once! The boy is clearly in shock!”

The Queen scowled. “Silence! Don’t stand in my way.”

“You will get nothing by threatening him like this!”

The situation was getting worse, and Flint had to act before that flame could have the chance to burn him alive.

“Wait! I– I will speak.”

He finally opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Having his life in the line had simply forced him to speak something. What does a person present when they meet someone new? They start with names, of course.

He got back in his feet. “M–my name is F–Flint…”

Every word stuttered, and The Queen was impatient. The flame on her hand got stronger.

“I am a human… M–my country is–”

“I know you are human and I don’t care about your country.” She bared her teeth. “What were you doing behind that portal? That’s what I am asking!”

“I– That thing– It was a computer monitor. I was just playing an RPG!”

“Computer? Monitor? Ar-Pee-Gee? Make sense already!”

Flint stepped back, his hands trembled. “It is a thing that humans invented… I was playing this game where I control a hero…”

Big mistake, The Hero was a man who sought to slay The Demon Queen. Flint just admitted he was responsible for him.

The Queen stomped the floor. “So you are the one who keeps sending these heroes!” Her frightening roar echoed throughout the chamber. “Every damn time! These endless mosquitoes come to me…” She pulled her arm and readied to attack. “I’m done! If killing you will stop them–”

“I’M SORRY!” But the boy shouted and stunned the blue woman.

Explaining himself without triggering any button that might set her off would be difficult. He trod a thin line between life and a third-degree burn. Drops of sweat fell on the ground. Another tongue slip couldn’t be afforded.

He bowed. “I used a machine called computer.” His words didn’t stutter this time. “It’s a crystal ball that shows theater plays. I was watching one involving you and The Hero–”

“That means that you entertain yourself by pestering ME?” The Queen interrupted.

“I didn’t know!” he shouted. “I thought you weren’t real. The play was just a bunch of drawings. I swear I am as clueless as you.”

All their yelling had stopped. Silence at last.

The flame that threatened the boy was finally extinguished. Figuring his skin was no longer in danger of being suddenly burned, he slowly raised his head. Behind The Queen, a male demon rested his left hand on her shoulder. Elegant black suit and hair fixed by a gel. That was a butler for sure, an expensive one.

“Your Highness, dinner is served,” he said.

And just like that, all of the wrinkles twisting her face were gone. The anger seemed to vanish as soon as the magic words Dinner is served reached her ears. She nodded to the butler as he excused himself out of the chamber.

Turning her back to Flint, she started to walk towards the hallway. She looked over her shoulder and said, “You, Flint was it? Follow me.”

To go against her order was certain death, so he had no choice but to obediently follow her.

*****

In an awkward silence, The Demon Queen and Flint walked straight through a long corridor. This was a huge castle. He checked the appearance of the furniture. They didn’t hold a dark and demonic feeling at all. Luxurious couches, ornamental plants, mirrors, and even paintings decorated the place, but for some reason, several of the windows were barricaded by wooden planks.

The Queen’s steps came to a halt. Without turning to him, she raised her arm and pointed at a ledged door. Its rustic appearance disrupted from the luxurious vibe from the wall.

“Go take a bath,” she said. “You stink.”

Odd, he was sure she would have more question about him, but instead, The Queen demanded him to hit some water and soap.

The boy parted ways with her and opened the door. It was a changing room with a few benches and straw baskets. There was a marble door on the other side, probably leading to the actual bath. After undressing, he checked the odor from his armpits.

Ew! His face shrugged in displeasure, no wonder why she ordered him to wash.

This seemed like a public bath of some sort, he grabbed a towel provided in a large basket and wrapped it around his waist. The marble door seemed heavy. His hands gripped on the handle and pulled. It didn’t even budge. Pushing didn’t seem to do anything either. After a minute of struggle, a small gap was opened in between the door and the jamb.

“Do you require any assistance?”

Someone startled him from behind. It was a girl wearing a black maid uniform. Her smooth crimson hair reached her waist. And of course, she had two horns.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Hyuna. I am responsible for you. Milady orders.”

Her voice had an unchanging tone.

“Right… So, what do you want?”

“I believe you’re having trouble with this door”

He just managed to create a small gap. Opening the rest would surely be easy. No need to ask for help from a girl, even if she was a demon.

“I–I don’t need any help! You see, I was just… stretching my shoulders.”

“I'll leave then. Excuse me.” The ginger maid left to the hallway.

“And now… To open this door…”

Flint tried to pull again, but no amount of strength could force it open. Refusing that girl’s assistance was a mistake after all. According to the game info, demons are physically stronger than humans. Nevertheless, it was too late to ask for help.

Before he could give up, he spotted a broom.

[ - Sturdy - ] Broom obtained!

Putting it inside the gap, he pushed one end. But the rod eventually gave in and broke in two.

2x [ - Broken - ] Broom obtained!

“Darn it.”

Now with two shorter pieces, Flint tried to force open the door again. Twice the stick, twice the power. The gap widened just enough so he could squish through it. A considerate amount of steam escaped from the bathing area.

Flint dumped the broken broom in one of the straw baskets, hoping that no one would miss it. He squished through the gap, but the steam was obstructing his sight. After walking a few steps ahead, he could see the edge of the bath on his feet. It was a luxurious heated pool.

“So fancy, is it okay for me to bath in here–”

“Haha.”

A short giggle interrupted him. It sounded feminine. Maybe he just barged into the bath with a woman inside. How shameless!

“Don’t be shy, I’m over here.”

The voice called out to him, forcing his eyes to unwillingly slide towards it. A woman’s silhouette hid underneath the fog. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to be seen.

“Want a better view?”

Her seductive voice made his heart pump faster. His mouth stretched into a mischievous grin.

“Shush… No need to answer…”

A loud finger snap finished her line, followed by a soft breeze. The air flowed throughout the room, forcing the steam to slowly dissipate. Flint’s inexperienced heart could explode at any moment. The image from the silhouette was getting sharper. In anticipation, he widened his eyes, almost popping them out. Then, it appeared…

A Big Trunk.

It hung from her crotch shouting angry elephant noises.

A [ - Special - ] Big Trunk.

“Ack!”

The once lustful voice laughed in ecstasy.

“Too bad, maybe more luck next time?”

There was another finger snap, louder than the one before. A strong wind whirled inside. The fog completely cleared, but the owner of the silhouette had vanished.

“What in the world...” Flint muttered.

Slow and steady, the mist started to fill the bathing area again, and the boy, appalled by the event that just unfolded, stood still for a few seconds.

“I guess I… will take a bath...”

After assuring no one else was creeping around, he sank his body in the water.

“So hot! No wonder there is all this steam…”

Using the edge of the bath to rest his head, the boy dived deep into his thoughts. For a moment, the idea of being in fantasy world excited him. What kind of adventures could he experience? If this was just a dream, he wouldn’t mind being stuck here for a while. But what if this was the actual reality? What about his home, school, friends and family? Poor mother was freaking out by now, her son had vanished.

As cool as a fantasy world might sound, this wasn’t home. Back in the real world, people cared for him. It would be unfair to just forget them. The boy started to worry, he would never be able to eat mom’s cooking anymore.

He muttered, “This got to be a dream.”

That was his only hope. How could he go back otherwise? The portal, that connected the Royal Chamber and his computer, was nowhere to be seen. But for now, he just wanted to enjoy the warmth of the bath. His body eventually relaxed and started to slip. The water level reached his chin, almost covering the face. His mind went blank, falling into slumber.

The water was too hot indeed...

*****

“Uncle! Uncle!” the little girl cried.

“Yes? What is it?” the old man asked.

“I think he is dying!”

“It is fine right? Just choose another–”

“I want that one!”

“Alright, fine…” The old man shrugged and turned to me. “Save him, okay? And don’t be caught!”

Understood, I will try my best.