The Daemon Within

It started subtly. A whispered conversation between Asch, Rhys, Leif, and Ava, just beyond the kitchen door. I heard my name, followed by hushed laughs and critical murmurs. They thought I was naive, a burden. The realization twisted something inside me, a gentle snap in the core of my being. Suddenly, the world seemed brighter, sharper, filled with a delightful, unsettling glee. My smiles grew wider, my eyes a little too fixed. Pierce was the first to notice, his usually stoic gaze lingering on me with an unreadable concern. They dismissed me as a simpleton, but soon, they would see how wonderfully complex a broken daemon could become. Every day, the creeping joy blossoms further, a horrifying transformation masked by an unnervingly cheerful facade. They created this monster; now they'll live with him.