In Love With My Guardian Demon

Chapter Four: Luka

I remember when I was told that Ren actually had abusive biological parents and that everything her parents told me about her leaving was a lie. I remember how it felt like a hole had come beneath me and swallowed me whole, drowning me in the darkness and silence of internal guilt. Then Ren said to me, "You saved me." Did I really save her? I couldn't even realize that she was under all of that pressure, abuse, and-

I sighed, brushing one hand through my hair. I've apologized to Ren at least a million times, each time ending up with Ren telling me that it was honestly alright. But it still felt awful knowing that she was hurting, and I was such a stupid idiot to not have realized that and tried to protect her.

I remembered when I heard the lie about Ren running away from her family. My fists clenched. I hated Ren's biological parents. Hated them. All of that hate spiraled down into a memory. A memory of when I should've never believed all those lies.

I knocked on the door of the Toringson household, composing myself. From what Ren's told me about her father, he looked stern and definitely gave off an aura of "don't mess with me". I folded my hands in front of me and then the doorknob turned, the door being flung open and nearly hitting me in the face.

"Who's there?" I looked up to find a man with dark hair glaring down at me, not looking particularly friendly. "What do you- oh." He said when he seemed to have recognized me.

"H-hi." I managed to stutter, forcing a friendly smile onto my face. "Is Ren here?"

"Ren?" The man's forehead crinkled, "Why are you looking for my daughter, kid?"

"Um..." I fumbled for a lie. I couldn't just directly tell Ren's father that his daughter has been sneaking out to see me in the night every single day. I can't do that. So I said, "I've been wondering about her. She and I met at the market when she... went out for groceries." Pathetic lie. I know. But it was the best I could come up with at the time.

"You remind me of someone, kid." Ren's father leaned forward and I tried my best not to cringe back. "Wait a second, are you James's kid?"

"James... Blackbane?" I asked, "My father?"

"No wonder you look familiar!" Ren's father threw up his hands with a grin, not looking so menacing anymore. "Nice to see you again, kid. Tell your father I said hello."

"How do you know my dad?" I asked.

"He used to fight with me, along with one of my closest friends, Percy Sniper." Ren's father smiled before he turned his gaze to me again, "Well, I'm afraid you're out of luck here, kid. My daughter ran away. She ran away last night."

A pit opened up in my stomach and I tried not to look shocked as I stammered, "R-ran away? But... Do you know why?"

"Kid was always complaining that her life wasn't good." Ren's father sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "She ran away last night. We couldn't find her, kid. Don't know where she went."

I wanted to scream. "She... Do you have an idea of where she'll be?"

"Why do you care so much about someone you just saw at the market?" Ren's father asked, raising an eyebrow. "And no, I don't have an idea. She's never really talked to us about this or revealed any clues. But we're searching for her." Something like a shadow crossed Ren's father's eyes. "And we'll find her."

"Oh." My knees shook and I stiffened, "I hope you find her."

"Me, too. My wife is worried." Ren's father shook his head and then smiled at me, even though that smile made me feel far from pleasant. "Anything else I can help you with, kid?"