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Teo was really tired that evening. He had got home from the hospital and tidied his bedroom the best he could.
He sent MC some photos and she said his room looked quite pretty. The thought of her messages lifted his heart. In the past weeks, they had been exchanging messages through the app he was testing for Forbidden Lab. It seemed the developers were disappeared and the AI was ignoring him, but at least he got to meet her. Well, not in person, but he was going to confess that very night.
Coming back home, starting a new life, fulfilling his dream to become a movie director and, all of this, together with the person that got him through depression. He didn't show very much of his state, but he liked her to the point he wanted to make her just laugh.
He was lying on the bed when the phone beeped. It was her. She had sent a photo of her, wrapped in blankets, and holding a sheep plushie.
MC: what are you up to?
TEO: just resting.
you?
MC: had dinner
now I'm in my cosy bed, well-fed and ready to sleep
did you eat?
TEO: I'm not hungry, I feel just tired tonight lol
MC: it's not good to skip your meals!
eat something
His stomach suddenly growled. He stood up, and went looking for something in his fridge. There was nothing at all.
TEO: Going to the convenience
brb
MC: ok, I'll wait for you!
you still have to tell me about the stories collected in the hospital
Teo smiled. He got out of his apartment and walked in the cool night. He arrived at the store and yawned while looking at all the shelves packed with pre-made food. He just wanted to sleep, but at the same time MC was right. And after all that hospital-food, he deserved something better.
While he was choosing between chicken or beef noodles, he was struck by the light of the fridge: sweets appeared in front of him like a holy sign. He rushed and opened the fridge, taking a vanilla and a chocolate pudding and looking intensely at them. Suddenly he felt a menacing presence behind him. He turned and found himself standing in front of a boy his age but taller, with orange hair.
"Hmm..." Saliva was dripping out of his mouth. His stomach growled loudly and he touched it with his hand. His nails were painted orange, as the hair. "Which one should I take? I want 'em all..."
Teo had no time to answer because another guy, with white hair and tanned skin and a pair of sunglasses (at night?), shouted to the big hungry orange one: "Beeeel! I won't pay for your stuff, just so you know. Don't mess around with the food."
"They have it! They have Asimaar Crossing 2: New Apocalypse Dawn! Look, Mammon!" Said another one coming to straight away to the others with a Nintendo Switch game in his hands. "But they must have a special edition, because it actually says Animal Crossing. And these are not Asimaars. Wait... are these new skins?"
"Yeah, ok Levi, now we really gotta go home! Lucifer will be angry at me if you don't move! If he discovers I was looking into his bedroom for my credit card, and I also found the enchantment to come here..."
"Oh, let's stay, Mammy! We could go back to our little girl and have a sleepover, so she can tell us all about her new BF. And I would like to see Lucifer scold you. I love watching him transform." Said a fourth one in a sexy voice tone. His skin was lucent like pearls and his strong perfume filled the air. He had his hands filled with fashion magazines. His manicure was perfect, and differently from the others, he was wearing a two-coloured nail polish.
"Mmh... Sorry human." The orange guy said to Teo. "Do you mind if I take some of those?" And he pointed his finger to the fridge.
"Not at all," said Teo, moving to let him pass. But soon enough, he felt remorse for his kindness, 'cause all of the pudding in the fridge was gone, as well as everything else the fridge contained.
The four strange guys paid for their things. The white-haired one, for a moment, met Teo's perplexed gaze. He put the index finger with white-painted nail on his mouth, and grinned.
Teo gulped. He took something to eat and met the expressionless eyes of the cashier. He was walking home, eating a banana, and thinking about the scene he had witnessed. MC had texted him
MC: did you eat?
what took so long?
TEO: what about it? four friends, all different in appearance and tastes, who are in constant fear of their boss, and have to escape at night to have some fun for themselves
MC: what lol
TEO: I met these four guys at the convenience store
one of them took all of the sweets in the fridge. the owner of the store was nearly fainting lol
they were quite unusual
MC: I guess it was fun. I like the idea.
but why is the boss so bad?
TEO: Good point
I'll sort it out.
MC: you certainly will
Good night Teo, and congrats to be back home safe and sound!
TEO: thank you
ah listen! can I call?
have something important to say
His eyelids were now really heavy. He waited for the answer, but now his stomach was full and the bed was comfortable. He ended up in a complete darkness as soon as his head hit the pillow...
***
It was voices who awakened him.
"Oooh, he's so cuuuute! I'm gonna paint his nails. Do you think purple suits him?"
"Asmo please! Let him be."
"Have you seen Satan?"
"Saaa-taaaan!"
"What's all this fuss over there? Eh? Lord Diavolo will be here in a mom... Oh, our guest has already arrived?"
Teo opened his eyes. He was surrounded by five or six faces staring at him. He blinked in surprise.
"Where... Where's my bed? Who... Who are you?"
"Oh isn't he cute!" Said one of the floating faces above hi.
"Hey, wait... He's kinda familiar..." Said the one with white hair and sunglasses. "Oh no!"
"ROFL! He's the one from the st..." Exclaimed a guy. But he stopped halfway through, meeting Mammon's eyes, and got back playing with his Nintendo Switch, sitting at a breakfast table.
"From where?" Said the most imperious one. Teo's eyes adjusted to the scene, and he saw a man with black hair and reddish clothes. "What's the meaning of this, MAMMON?" His voice terribly echoed in the room.
"Why is it always me, eh, Lucifer!? Got any problems, you f..."
"Oh, he's already here! Good morning, Seven Brothers!" A new person appeared, followed by a distinguished figure. "So you must be the new exchange student! Nice to meet you, you can call me Lord Diavolo."
"I am... What?" Asked Teo, while watching his unnatural red hair.
"Your name must be... Teo, right? This over here is Barbatos, my assistant. You can always ask him for help when I'm not around or if you need to reach me."
"No, no, sorry. This must be wrong. I haven't applied for any exchange study program and I don't intend to participate. Now, excuse me, I would like to go home. I'll call a cab. Where's my pho..."
"Oh, this is most inconvenient." Lord Diavolo said. "You can't."
"I... Can't?"
"You're stuck with us, human!" Grinned the one who the night before held the fashion magazines, covering his mouth with his blue and pink painted finger.
"Can we postpone the presentations and eat? And Belphie needs his coffee to wake up before lesson." Said the orange-haired guy, while patting a sleeping boy on his head.
"Hey, wait a minute..." Said Teo looking carefully "I know you! I know all of you! You were in the convenience store! You must have followed me home and kidnapped me!" Said Teo pointing fingers to four of them.
"I knew it! Mammon, explain this!" Lucifer shouted
"Lucifer, I did nothing, I swear... It was Levi's idea!"
"ROFL. You did the prohibited enchantment because you missed our..."
"Stop this nonsense!" Teo shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone stopped and looked at him. "Alright. I don't know what game you're playing but... I really need to go home. I have things to do, lessons to attend and..." He blushed. "There's this person I really need to see."
"Teo, I'm afraid we really can't to take you home right now. The contract has been signed and you were the chosen human for this year's exchange program. I'm sorry." Said Lord Diavolo.
"But... Even if this is an exchange program, I must go home. We'll sort it out, but I have things to do. You can't kidnap people at night and come up with silly university exchange studies!" Said Teo.
All of the boys looked at each other.
A blond guy spoke and asked Lucifed. "You did tell him where he is, didn't you?"
"Where am I?" Teo's purple eyes inquired all the people there.
"You are not in the human world, Teo." Said the one called Lucifer. "You find yourself in another kingdom... A different one. We are not humans and this is not earth, as you can see."
It was true. That place had a strange aura and its furniture was quite the singular type. Outside it was dark, but on the table there was breakfast food. Those people weren't ordinary. There was something strange in their eyes.
"So... where am I!?"
Lord Diavolo cleared his throat, widened his arms, put on a stupid smile on his face and shouted: "Welcome to the Devildom, Teo!"