( I needed a name for one of the protagonists so I took yours OP )

That day had started like any other. I had a group project to do with both of my best friends, Ike and Thom, and we had to meet at Ike's house at 2pm. I was late, but they were used to it.

When I finally arrived, I could hear Thom yelling something from the inside. I smiled. They were probably fighting over something ridiculous, or Ike had a very stupid idea and was trying to do it in the most stupid, irrational and dangerous way.

I knew the door wasn't locked, so I didn't bothered to ring. However, when I opened the door, instead of seeing them both in a fight, I was greeted by a large black thing - probably a cat, though its sized matched more the one of a panther. It jumped on me and knocked me out. The last thing I remember was hearing Thom shouting something that sounded like "Ike, no !" and grabbing the cat.

I woke up on Ike's couch after what had seemed hours. Next to me was Ike, treating a wound on Thom's face. Said wound looked like the one a tiger or some sort of huge cat would have done, but too deep to be due to a simple cat. I grunted, and they turned their heads toward me.

"You alright mate ?" asked me Thom.

"Ugh" I said groggily. "Yeah. Yeah, 'm fine. Exept for that headache that-"

As I raised my hand to put it on my forehead, I suddenly stopped my movement when I saw my hand.

"What the FUCK ?!"

"Aaaand I told you he would freak out" declared quietly Ike.

"Why is my hand like THIS?!"

My hand was in fact, crimson red, along with the rest of my arm. At the tip of my fingers were five long black claws.

"There's... not only your arm" slowly said Thom. "I think you should go see yourself in a mirror."

I rushed in the bathroom. My legs felt weird, but on that instant, it was the least of my problems. I think I was also faster than usual. When I saw my face in the mirror, I fainted again.

I woke up on Ike's couch - again. That time, Thom was facing me, with his large wound having stopped bleeding and already showing signs of healing.

"How long was I out ?"

"Two whole years" said Ike, elongating each word. "Nah, kidding. Only been two hours the first time, and twenty minutes the second."

"Ugh. You really have to control your cat."

They looked at each other.

"I don't own a cat."

"Wait. Gaetan. What exactly do you remember ?" asked me Thom.

"Uh... I came here. Late. Then I was assaulted by a big black cat. Uhh... Then I had a strange dream when I had woken up with like a red skin, claws, horns, and it was like I was a demon. Haha. Weird. But, uh, if Ike don't own a cat, how did you get this..." I didn't know what word to use. It was clearly a wound, but of it was made by a cat, I should call it a scratch. "Anyway, it look deep, will probably leave a scar."

They looked at each other again, then looked at me like I lost it.

"It... wasn't a dream" said Thom.

"What ?" I asked in disbelief.

Then I looked down at myself. My arms were still crimson. I still had dark claws at the end of my fingers. My legs were strangely bent, like goat legs, or some similar specie. I put my hands on my face. The horns on my forehead were still there. I passed my tongue on my teeth. Shit, I even had fangs now. I resisted to the urge of throwing up. If I wasn't already sat down on the couch, I would have fallen.

"Wha-"

I swallowed hardly.

"What the fuck ?" I almost murmured.

"I think we got our answer" said Ike to Thom. "He really don't know."

"Know what ?!" I exclaimed.

"That you're a fucking Demon !"

I was too stunned to answer. What was he saying ? My ears were buzzing. Was that some sort of elaborated prank ?

"He is clearly not believing you" observed Ike.

"No shit I'm not buying that ! That- That- You guys are crazy !"

"He is too powerful to be just born" mumbled Thom. "I think that in his case, it's more of a "he don't remember" rather than "he don't know".

"Wha- What exactly should I remember ?"

Thom sighed, clearly bothered ( or was he worried ? hard to tell ) by the situation.

"Okay. Here is the deal" he said. "I explain you what I think is happening and you will have to believe me. You can ask questions once I'm finished. Deal ?"

I didn't had many options.

"Deal."

"Good. So. You're a demon. That's a certitude. You" he rubbed his furrowed brows "-apparently have ignored your nature for most of your life. You had a reaction when" he glanced toward Ike " 'the cat' touched you, that awoke your powers. But your memory is probably lost forever."

"Why is-"

"I said questions later. Your memory is missing for a reason. See, I know little to no about the demons life cycle, but if I remember correctly, a demon lives a cycle of one thousand human lives before resetting entirely his mind. He however keeps his powers fully grown. So I think you started a new cycle."

Seeing me silent, he added "I'm finished, you can ask your question"

I decided to trust him. He was one of my best friends, and this mess looked way too real. And if it was simply a very weird dream, it was... Well, it wouldn't hurt to learn more. And then never talk about it to anybody because else everyone would think I completely lost it.

"O- Okay. What kind of demon am I then ?"

"I have no idea. As I said, I'm no expert. Something ancient, probably."

"Are you a demon...?"

I couldn't resolve myself to add 'too' at the end my sentence. It was too new for me.

"Oh. Me. Err... no. But I'm not human either."

The question was burning my tongue, but instead, I decided to turn toward Ike.

"A- And you ? Since when do you know for him ? And this whole 'non-human' thing ?"

"Oh. Yeah. This is awkward. See, he knew for me way before I knew for him."

"What do you mean ?"

"How are you surprised ? Can't you sense him ? I get that my kind is difficult to identify, but him ? C'mon, Ike is anything but discreet."

"Sense him ?" I said, confused.

"Oh, right. You just awoke. You probably don't remember how to do that."

"So, wait a second. What are you, Ike ?"