The Damned Demon

*Crshhk!*

The door of the car was violently ripped open and flung aside as if it were mere paper. A rough, deep voice boomed through the air, laden with fury and protectiveness, "Which bastard dares to kidnap my daughter?!" Logan roared as he took a look inside the car to see if his daughter was alright, only to have his eyes widen.

"Dad!" Amelia's shriek pierced the air as she scrambled to cover herself, clutching her bra in a desperate bid for modesty while Asher, somewhat caught off guard, could only muster a stumped expression at the sight of Logan standing imposingly at the torn-off door.

It looked like her old man hadn't changed one bit, even after his daughter became one of the most respected Hunters in the world.

Logan, initially fueled by rage, was stopped cold by the sight before him—a half-naked man next to his equally half-naked daughter. His face flushed a burning shade of red as shock overtook him, causing him to stumble backward.

"Dear, careful!" Isla's voice followed swiftly as she rushed to stabilize her husband, but her eyes couldn't help but dart to the scene inside the car. "Oh angels…" The shock mirrored her husband's, and she too recoiled, the breath knocked from her lungs by the unexpected sight.

"Careful, dear!" Now it was Logan's turn to steady Isla, pulling himself together with a deep, steadying breath.

Asher, amidst the chaos, managed a chuckle, breaking the tension with a shrug as he looked at an embarrassed Amelia, "Oof. Looks like we got caught," he remarked, feeling amused by the reaction of all three.

Amelia, her face burning with embarrassment, let out a helpless sigh. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a wall of water that enveloped the entire car, providing a momentary veil of privacy as they quickly dressed, "These two, seriously," she muttered, her cheeks still tinged with red, though she was surprised to see Asher remaining so cool and calm.

Does being a demon include having a thick skin?

She had dreamed of a perfect scenario to introduce Asher to her parents and make it look as formal and beautiful as possible. But who knew the introduction was going to happen in such an embarrassing way. She was sure her parents wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"D-Did you see what I saw? Tell me I am dreaming," Logan managed, his voice shaking as he struggled to process the scene.

Isla, hand pressed to her chest in an effort to calm her racing heart, whispered back, "I-I am afraid not. When did our daughter grow up this fast? She isn't even married. What will we do now? What if that man is-"

"My boyfriend I was going to introduce to you two," Amelia interjected, her tone firm, cheeks puffed in frustration as the curtain of water dissipated, and she stepped out, now dressed in casual clothes. Asher, too, emerged from the car, shirt neatly buttoned, his expression one of respectful anticipation.

Logan puffed up his chest and straightened his spine while Isla crossed her arms, trying to make her face look as intimidating as possible upon seeing this charming and absurdly tall man with broad shoulders stepping beside their daughter.

However, the moment they saw the shimmering golden eyes of this young man, the two were startled, their hearts clenching for a moment as a certain face and name echoed in their minds.

Logan was shaken for a moment as he felt as if he saw a dead man standing before him…a man who died without answering a lot of questions he had. Isla mirrored his reaction and felt her chest getting heavy for a moment before realizing that she had overreacted when the man standing before her looked completely different except for his eyes.

They had already seen his photo, but seeing him like this… stirred memories that never failed to wound their hearts.

Asher noticed the drastic change in their expressions for a brief moment and felt his chest getting heavy with emotions as well since he still couldn't forget the relationship he had shared with these two in the past.

Without them, he might not have even reached his true potential in his past life. Without them, he might not have become Golden Prince.

It was one of the reasons why he liked Amelia at first glance since she was the best version of these two combined and became her mentor.

But now they might not love him anymore, even as a memory because of how the world had twisted and destroyed his legacy as Golden Prince. Can he blame them, or should he feel wronged?

Yet his eyes briefly glinted with a certain determination to find out something for sure.

Stepping forward, Asher faced Logan and Isla, his smile earnest and respectful, "It's an honor and a pleasure to finally meet Amelia's parents. She has told me a great deal about how you two are the best parents in the world and it made me look forward to meeting you two," he said, extending an olive branch of sorts in the hopes of smoothing over the initial shock of their unconventional introduction.

The tension in the air was palpable as Logan narrowed his eyes, giving Ash a scrutinizing look that seemed to weigh his very soul. The silence stretched thin as he took his time, assessing the young man from head to toe with a discerning gaze before his voice, gruff and laden with a father's protective instinct, finally broke the silence, "So you are the one named 'Ash' huh? Did you bully my innocent daughter into whatever that was? Because our daughter is too pure to indulge in such things on her own, and we won't let you off if you did."

Asher opened his mouth to respond, perhaps to defend himself or explain, but Amelia, her face flushed with embarrassment and a touch of annoyance, quickly interjected, "Dad, please. I was the one who pulled him into the car, and you know..." Her voice trailed off, hinting at more to the story than her parents might be ready to hear.

"W-What? My sweet little pea...You...You like him that much to trust him like that?" Isla interjected, her tone a mixture of surprise and concern as she too examined this young man, and could clearly see that his dangerously charming looks could easily disarm even most strong-willed women. And so she was worried if her daughter was swept off her feet by his sweet murmurs and especially those radiant golden eyes of his which could have had some influence on Amelia considering her past relationship with…

With a puffed up right cheek, Amelia affirmed her feelings, "He is standing right here, you know. But yes…" Her expression turned serious as she added, "I trust him with my life and more."

Logan and Isla exchanged a look, their expressions a mix of bewilderment and resignation. The confidence in Amelia's voice, coupled with the sincere affection in her gaze as she looked at Ash, communicated more than words could. Slowly, the initial shock began to give way to a reluctant acceptance. This young man, despite the chaotic introduction, displayed a respectful demeanor that could not be easily dismissed.

Logan let out a deep sigh, his stance relaxing slightly as he finally addressed Ash, his tone still carrying a hint of a challenge but softened by his daughter's evident happiness, "Hmm…since our daughter seems to trust you so much, we will also trust her decision. In fact, we already did. Otherwise, we wouldn't have recommended you to get into the WHA."

"But we had to see you for ourselves since our daughter seemed too shy to show you to us. That is why we had to resort to such an ahem...crude method. I hope you won't take it to heart," Isla said with an apologetic smile while looking at Ash with a puppy gaze, not wanting his and Amelia's relationship to sour because of this.

Before Asher could open his mouth, Amelia intervened again with her hands on her hips, "So you two were planning this for how long? Don't tell me it was since the day I told you about him."

Logan winced as he awkwardly chuckled and said, "My little pea, you have to understand us. As parents, we were bound to get impatient and curious to know who our daughter chose as her life partner. You didn't even show us his photo nor tell us much about his background. So no matter how much we believe you, we still have to do our duty as your parents."

Amelia sighed as she knew how much they compromised for her sake and said with a look of guilt, "I know…and I am sorry but I was planning to introduce him properly without rushing things."

Asher cleared his throat and said with a brief smile, "I perfectly understand why you two would be worried, and I have no problem easing those worries. You guys can ask me anything, and I will answer as best as I can, including the reason why Amelia hasn't revealed much about me to you two yet."

Logan and Isla once again glanced at each other, feeling intrigued and curious by his words.

"Then let's head inside and talk instead of standing out here in the sun," Isla said with a sweet smile before suddenly asking with wide eyes, "I forgot to ask. Do you happen to like marshmallows? I guarantee I can make a killer bunch."

"Oh mother…" Amelia winced as she couldn't believe her mother still hasn't learned after all those cooking disasters.