Their friendship had stood everything else. Time, differerence of opinion, distance. All the things that usually came between friends.

But now.. the end of their friendship had come down to one seemingly tiny mistake. Tao looked stricken at the sight of Kris’s ashen skin, his sunken cheeks, his dark eyes. Kris stared back at him with malice clear in his facial features.

    “This,” he gestured to his body. “This is your fault.” Tao’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. He stumbled back, mouthing the word ‘no’ over and over, and Kris’s mocking laughter rang in his ears. “Yes. Your fault.” Kris’s mouth thinned into a line. Even from across the room, Tao could see Kris’s eyes flash completely black. He burst into tears, thinking back to before.

Four weeks previously, Tao was practicing for the upcoming Wushu competition. He knew Kris was watching him, had been watching him patiently for some time, and he sighed. He already knew why Kris was waiting, and he wasn't really in the mood to deal with Kris.

Kris had this.. obsession. There was no other word for it. He believed that inhuman things walked the earth. Demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts. All kinds of things. He was often wrong about people he thought were demons, and most people never took him seriously anyway so there was no damage. Except the one time last week, where he’d thrown salt into this guy’s face. The guy had not been pleased, needless to say.

    “What is it this time, Kris-ge?” he asked, without turning around. In the mirror in front of him, he could see Kris stand up and walk towards him excitedly.

    “You remember that guy last week? He’s a real demon! I’ve been following him, and I finally got real proof that he’s not human,” Kris exclaimed, and Tao turned around to face him incredulously. Kris’s excitement deflated at the disbelief on Tao’s face.

    “You can’t be serious. Demons don’t exist, Kris-ge,” Tao resumed practicing his Wushu moves. “Besides, you can’t just follow someone around, accusing them of being a demon. He could have you arrested for harassment, and then where would we be?”

    “But.. I have proof! It’s in my room, I can show you!” Tao shook his head.

“No, Kris-ge. Demons aren’t real, and it’s time you stopped believing they were. It’s time to stop pretending. We’re not 12 anymore,” Kris looked at Tao with immeasurable hurt in his eyes.

“You were only pretending? After all this time.. You only pretended to believe me?” Tao’s cheeks flushed.

    “Someone had to make sure you didn’t get in trouble, and.. your mother asked me to keep an eye on you,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Kris let out a self-deprecating laugh.

    “Of course,” Tao flinched at the bitterness in Kris’s voice. “Of course no one would believe me. Who’d believe the town nutjob?” Tao shook his head.

    “Kris-ge, it’s not like that--,” “Then what is it like, Tao?” Kris cut him off harshly. Tao said nothing. “Exactly. You know what.. don’t bother checking up on me anymore. I’ll be fine.” Kris stalked off, and even though his instincts screamed at him to run after Kris, Tao stayed. He had to practice for the competition, after all.

And now, seeing the creature in front of him, Tao desperately wished he had gone after Kris. He stepped forward, and he felt his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest when he saw Kris take 2 steps backward.

    “There’s plenty of space between us,” Kris smiled, and Tao gulped when he saw the rows of sharp teeth. Kris crossed his arms and leaned against the opposite wall of his bedroom. “Now. What was it that you wanted to say?” Tao took a deep, steadying breath.

    “I’m sorry for not believing you,” he said as earnestly as he could. Kris smiled invitingly, and Tao felt relieved for a split second.

    “You really think that ‘I’m sorry’ can fix this?” Kris’s eyes flashed red, and he transformed before Tao. He became a hideous, leathery-looking creature and even though Tao considered himself a brave person, he let out a shriek of horror. The creature coughed out a laugh that sounded more like a growl. “I thought so.” Kris once again took human form and his face was hard. “Fair is fair, Tao. Your betrayal caused mine. Although.. I have to say, it feels to me like you got the short end of the stick.”

Tao couldn’t help the tears that came to his eyes at Kris’s sharp words, and it only hurt worse when he heard Kris laughing, truly laughing, at his pain.

There was a whoosh of wings, and suddenly Tao felt that he and Kris weren’t alone in the room anymore. He looked up and saw the man from several weeks earlier. If possible, his smile was even more savage than the one Kris sported.

    “You--!” Tao stood up only to have his muscles locked in place against his will. The demon walked closer, and ghosted his fingers across Tao’s cheek.

    “Ohh, you smell so good,” the demon’s eyes flashed black, and Tao was suddenly afraid. “Kris, why didn’t you tell me you knew someone who had smelled so richly of guilt?” Kris snorted.

    “The guilt is a new thing. He smelled like self-pity earlier,” the other demon wrinkled his nose.

    “Ugh,” he stopped touching Tao’s face and stared into his eyes. “Your soul is a damned thing. Or it will be. What a disappointment that we’re not allowed to eat souls like yours.” Kris tapped his foot impatiently.

    “Xiumin! We need to leave,” he snapped and Tao started to struggle.

    “Wait a second! What do you mean damned? I don’t understand,” Xiumin held up a hand towards Kris and smiled viciously at Tao. Suddenly, he knew he didn’t want to know, except he would learn now whether he wanted to or not.

    “It means that I can see your future spelled out clearly in your eyes. And your future is making deals with devils, trying to undo something that cannot be undone. That is what it means to have a damned soul,” Xiumin hissed. “Your life will be short, even for a human.” Kris’s head whipped to the direction of the door.

    “Someone’s coming. Xiumin, we have to leave,” his voice held a warning. “Tao’s mother isn’t the kind of woman to take intruders lightly.” Xiumin’s smile was chilling.

    “Have you forgotten that we’re more than capable of taking care of ourselves, Kris?” his voice was full of sinister amusement. “This human suffers… Let’s make him suffer some more.” Kris’s answering smile caused Tao to start screaming and struggling with all his might, but it was no use. He was stuck fast.

The sounds of his mother’s screams were the last thing he heard before he out.

-Years later -

Tao adjusted the bag on his back, feeling unsure of himself for the first time in years. It had taken him decades to track Kris to this particular place at this particular point in time. He smiled, thinking back on the moment that had caused all of this. Such a tiny, tiny mistake. Such devastating consequences.

He was aware he was being followed even before he turned around. Kris faced him coolly, lacking any kind of emotional response. All Tao felt was a burning hatred for the person who used to be his best friend.

    “Betrayal for betrayal. Yours caused mine, you told me once. And now.. the tables are turned,” Tao shrugged and Kris crossed his arms.

    “Xiumin spelled your future out for you when we last met.. You're supposed to be dead. How are you here now?” Tao laughed, the sound coming out of his mouth resembling sawblades clashing together.

    “My soul is damned, that's true enough. And I made a deal with a devil, also true. But your creator only saw my death because that's what he wanted to see of my future. He should’ve remembered that there are infinite strands of time,” Tao sensed real fear coming from Kris and he smiled, showing off his wicked sharp teeth. “And now.. You’ll pay the price for his ignorance.”