Glyn reads from the diary with Xia Bai listening in closely and attentively.

  ‘I was born without a name, just another baby tossed in the trash like so many others. It was only later in the orphanage that I was given my name, Sebastian. Until that point, I lived on the streets barely surviving until I met a certain someone who gave me a helping hand. This girl was a strange one, dressed up in nice clothes, well-fed, and clean. It was weird for her to be wandering around in the slums I called home. But she helped me and led me to the orphanage. I later learned this girl’s name, Morgan Walsh.

  From that point, I tried learning all I could about the Walsh family and dedicated myself to trying to repay her for her kindness. I learned to read and write, learned arithmetic, and practiced proper dedication. I knew a kid from the slums had a slim chance of being brought on as anything more than a laborer, but if it would help her even marginally, I considered it a worthwhile effort. Some called me foolish for my actions, but I still tried my best and worked as hard as I could to improve myself.’

  “So he was that dedicated to her?” Xia Bai asks.

  Glyn nods, reading the diary. “From the text, it appears so. At least the person he was before being possessed.”

  He continues.

  ‘It’s finally my time. House Walsh is hiring more staff. Even if I end up a groundskeeper, I could at least be close to Lady Morgan. Apparently, several of their staff left for some reason. I can’t imagine why some people would want to leave working under a famed noble house.’

  “Hey that is strange. Why did some people quit?” Xia Bai asks breaking Glyn’s concentration.

  He sighs. “Likely because House Walsh was in decline around the time, so they had to lower their pay.”

  “In decline?”

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  “Like most noble houses, House Walsh gained fame, helping the king to fight the demons during the war against the demonic horde. In the aftermath, they claimed some territory and ruled it. However, in the last few decades, their territory suffered an environmental shift that left them destitute and bleeding wealth. They had no choice but to downsize most of their land, selling it off to other nobles and other such tactics.”

  “So, they went broke.”

  “Yup. But you know, nobles, they can’t lose face or be looked down on by their neighbors. The higher they were, before the more they end up suffering when they lose even a little of their fortune.”

  “So that’s where this Sebastian came in.”

  “Yup. The old staff, so they had to take on staff who’d be willing to accept less. And for a poor boy off the streets, of course, he’d jump at the opportunity.”

  ‘I got past the initial tests. They were easier than I expected. But it’s weird. I’ve been here for a few days, but I haven’t seen Lady Morgan. I’ve been told she’s still in the manor, but I can’t seem to find her. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about this, but I’m worried. Everything here seems different from I expected. It’s reminding me more and more of the slums and how I was treated back then. I’m understanding why Lady Morgan was in the slums that day.

  A few days have passed, and I finally found Lady Morgan. She’s thinner than I would expect and appears to have been going through some rather tough lessons. I’ve been trying to meet up with her to keep an eye on her and entertain her. But I don’t know if I’m having the desired effect. She seems more annoyed with me than anything else.’

  “What’s that about?” Xia Bai asks.

  “No clue. I think he’s trying not to go into detail. But from what it seems like, Morgan was not treated well by her family.”

  “So?”

  “So, he latched onto her and maybe she latched onto him in return.”

  “Then why turn him into a Demon’s host?”

  “I’m thinking Morgan might not be the one in charge here.”

  ‘It’s been a few months since I’ve come to work at House Walsh. I’ve dedicated my time to Lady Morgan, as I see her daily life deteriorating. Unfortunately, I’ve been neglecting my main job. But the Master told me If I’m going to be bothered with Morgan I might as well watch over her officially’ So from here on I’m officially Lady Morgan’s caretaker.’

  Glyn turns over the next few pages.

  “This is where it starts.”

  “What?”

  “When the possession begins.” He stares at the pages flipping between two pages in particular. “The writing style changes after this page. I think the Demon was keeping up the journal.”

  “Why?”

  “No clue. Some sadistic glee?” Glyn stares at the pages. “This may give us the insight we need to take Morgan’s forces down and end this mess.”