D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2187 Nice Distractions Part 1

Lily ---

While Kat was engrossed in her dinner, Lily felt a compelling urge to explore. She couldn't fault Kat, though. Her sweet girlfriend had initially tried to block the psychic link, but the events at the arena were too significant not to share. It was understandable that Kat felt the need to inform everyone... still, Kat had been right; Lily desperately wanted to avoid contemplating what had transpired in the arena.

Less than five minutes into her attempt to find solace, Lily grew restless. She shifted her position numerous times, trying to get comfortable in her little space, before finally leaving it altogether. Even changing her form to stretch in peculiar and somewhat awkward ways failed to banish the intrusive memories. Consequently, Lily decided it was time to go and engage in some activity. What that activity would be, she hadn't yet determined. While standing guard was likely important, she just couldn't bring herself to do it right now.

A part of her strongly desired to inform Kat of her excursion... but the flood of worried concern that such a declaration would undoubtedly elicit, as Kat quickly deduced the underlying reason for Lily's wandering, was precisely what Lily wished to avoid. Perhaps it was a necessary step for her, but... well, Lily didn't want to feel good about herself at this moment. Dwelling on her guilt was hardly appealing, yet Lily couldn't muster the will to try and find happiness.

Lily glanced down at her hands, half-expecting a dramatic, movie-like vision of them drenched in blood or perhaps Kat's severed head appearing between her palms... but no. They were simply... her hands. Unchanged, as always. Lily attempted to summon her shadows to envelop them, and the process felt as effortless as ever. There were no troublesome mental barriers hindering her shadow abilities, and they remained as free of bloodstains as they had always been. Despite her internal feelings of being tainted, she was physically unharmed.

With a sigh, Lily began ascending the stairs. As she climbed, she realized that she didn't want to be spotted if an intruder were to appear. However, becoming a monstrous shadow creature wasn't quite what she desired either at this moment. Tilting her head slightly, Lily conceived a solution for both concerns. She allowed her shadows to creep over her entire body, enveloping her completely before coaxing the shadows to ripple and distort. This transformed her into an inky, humanoid monstrosity, dripping dark ichor onto the ground, which promptly vanished. It was merely a superficial shell, an illusion, but it was something.

This transformation proved surprisingly effective as a distraction. Lily took her time climbing the stairs. The effort required to adopt a proper, shambling gait was far more amusing than she had anticipated. Walking upstairs in such a peculiar manner demanded concentration. Lily experimented with a halting, zombie-like stride, bending low and swinging out widely with each step before continuing. It was as if she had a severe case of lag, except she was deliberately creating it, and the shadows concealed any visible effort.

Next, Lily attempted to create the illusion of gliding up the stairs, which proved considerably more challenging. She found she could achieve this with just her legs, but it was much simpler to ride the currents of her shadows, as if surfing upwards. This gave the impression of effortless levitation, and Lily could even bob and weave slightly to enhance the illusion of detachment from the ground. It was so enjoyable that Lily even used this method to 'fly' back down the stairs before ascending again, adding some monstrous growls. If Kat could have witnessed it, she would have undoubtedly found the entire spectacle exceptionally endearing.

Ultimately, Lily spent a good thirty minutes simply gliding around the stairs before noticing the significant amount of mana she had expended on this endeavor. This realization jolted her out of her improving mood, plunging her back into literal and figurative darkness. Lily sighed as the shadowy form encasing her body dissolved into nothingness. Her shadows reverted to their natural state, no longer bound by her will.

Lily let out another sigh as she made her way back up the stairs, hoping it would improve her disposition as it had the first time. The shadow shell reformed around her... but this time, Lily couldn't summon the same joy. Consequently, she set about reshaping it. The gooey exterior was tightened... perhaps a bit too much. Lily discovered it clung uncomfortably in several places it shouldn't. Once again, had Kat been present, she would have been highly amused.

Lily released the shadows enveloping her form, then enlarged certain parts, ultimately shaping herself into a humanoid shadow cat. Realizing this was essentially a shadow-made fur suit, Lily quickly abandoned the form, banishing it to the 'don't think about it' mental space. Deciding she had indulged in enough shape-shifting, Lily transformed again, barely dwelling on her previous hesitations.

Next, Lily began exploring the scattered dormitory rooms within the vicinity. However, they proved to be quite uneventful. Lily remained unsure if Thyme had simply neglected the effort for proper decoration or if some rule prohibited individuality. In essence, each room was identical, with decay being the primary distinguishing factor. Any unique elements, if they ever existed, had long since crumbled, rendering them as good as nonexistent. Perhaps this was the justification for the lack of adornments.

Nevertheless, Lily attempted to find amusement in the few items she did discover. One of the beds had disintegrated into numerous near-spherical fragments, and she spent a short while batting them around the room until the novelty wore off. They lacked proper rolling, or perhaps she wasn't feline enough to enjoy batting them aimlessly.

Another relatively engaging room suffered from a missing ceiling. It had collapsed at some point, and Lily clambered up to survey the surroundings. Disappointingly, there wasn't much to see. The upper level of the residential area offered insufficient space for crawling. Even if all that was visible were rooftops and scattered rocks, it served as a decent way to pass the time. Lily even took special care, treading lightly, utilizing her wings when necessary, and spreading her shadows to distribute her weight and reinforce the existing structure.

Lily found that this activity occupied her... for a period, at least. The challenge arose as she progressively developed a robust mental framework for dispersing her shadows, requiring less conscious thought. While not flawless, the ceiling wasn't on the brink of imminent collapse, thus posing minimal risk of falling. This was especially true given her naturally light form. Consequently, less time was dedicated to distracting magic, allowing more mental energy to slowly attempt to re-engage with... that specific moment, even if it wasn't something Lily actively desired to recall.

Which... she found herself subtly debating this point internally. It wasn't solely an issue to be avoided. Not entirely. Not anymore.

Lily turned the thought over in her mind. She... wasn't sure. It also served as a relatively safe subject. It skirted the edge of the core problem without directly confronting it. It offered a glimmer of hope for a resolution without providing one intrinsically. For the present time? It was a welcome diversion.