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On a typical Sunday morning, Esther was trying to do a magic ritual using the hotel mirror at the entry. She was drawing a specific sigil in animal blood with much attention.
Katherine walked into the room and looked at her daughter. “Esther! What are you doing? You’ll scare off the guests if they walk in on you doing that!” She admonished.
“Relax Mom! This will be quick! Promise! I just have to try this quickly— I’ll be done in 20 minutes or so.” Esther explained.
Katherine huffed in annoyance. “Fine… Not like we have many guests anyways because of the reputation of the hotel…” She mused.
Esther gave a small “Yes!” of victory and continued her ritual as Katherine walked away to do something else.
“What are you doing?” Asked a deep voice behind her.
“AH! Abaddon! You scared me! You can’t just sneak up on me like that man!” As the girl shrieked she messed up the last line on the sigil. “OH COME ON! Look Abaddon! You made me mess up! Do you know how hard it is to get animal blood?! I have to do it all over again!” Esther complained angrily.
“It’s not my fault your skills are so sloppy— also that encantation wouldn’t have worked anyways. You need deer blood, that’s squirrel blood.” Stated Abaddon.
“Really? Damn it!” Whined Esther. She picked up a cloth and wiped the blood off the mirror, Abaddon came next to her.
The demon stared at the mirror with confusion. “Is my human reflection not supposed to be there?” He asked.
Esther looked back at the mirror, and low and behold. The boy’s reflection wasn’t there!
“What the—? That’s weird… Maybe it’s a demon thing or something.” The young sorceress said.
“No, that cannot be it. In hell I had a large mirror made of the bones of sinners I’d tortured and I could see myself in it.” Abaddon explained.
“Huh? Really? Then why don’t you show up here?” Esther exclaimed looking back at her sole reflection.
She then noticed something odd…
“Hey, is it just me or is there someone far away in the mirror…?” The girl asked the demon.
Abaddon squinted and then his eyes opened largely in surprise. “It seems so…” He tapped on the glass of the mirror and the figure turned back to look at them.
“Creepy!” She yelped.
The figure started walking towards them in the mirror till he was standing right in front of the both.
It was… Abaddon?! The boy looked exactly like Abaddon, same dark brown hair, same Victorian styled clothes, the same baby fat on his face… But… It wasn’t Abaddon.
They were small differences, like the sparkle in the boy’s eyes, the lack of eyebags, the cross necklace he wore around his neck, the better posture…
“Abaddon?” The boy spoke, putting his hand against his side of the mirror as if they were separated by a glass wall.
Esther’s eyebrows furrowed. “Abaddon, do you know this guy?” She asked.
The demon simply ignored her. “Hello Nathaniel. Greetings to you.” He saluted.
The boy in the mirror’s smile grew. “Abaddon! It’s you! How are we talking right now? You can’t be asleep since that girl’s next to you—“ He said excitedly, a smile growing even more on his face. “Oh! You must be Esther! Abaddon has told me interesting tales about you!”
Esther turned and looked at Abaddon. “Abaddon! Who is this kid and why does he look like you— and how do you guys know each other?!”
“Nathaniel is the vessel. He is the original owner of this mortal body. He never ascended to heaven since he never truly passed away.” Explained the demon. “This is quite odd I must say, I usually am only able to contact him while unconscious but it seems I’ve found a new way, that being “my” reflection.”
“Woah that’s sick! So you’re the Victorian boy Abby’s possessing?” Asked Esther.
The demon looked at her with a displeased expression. “Why must you insist on referring to me with that nickname?” He groaned.
“Abaddon’s too long! And it’s not like I only call to you by that!”
“I think it’s endearing!” Said Nathaniel. “You both remind me of these two siblings that lived in my village.”
“Well technically Abaddon’s my cousin since Uncle Nathan adopted him— Wait! Since Nathan’s dead does that mean Mom is YOUR mom now? Does that make us siblings?” Contemplated Esther.
“I’d rather not waste time on idiotic human dilemmas.” Abaddon responded.
“I think what Abaddon means is that it doesn’t really matter what official title it is, you both are family at the end of the day and that’s all that matters right?” Nathaniel explained with a positive point of view.
“That is not what I said.” Muttered Abaddon.
“Anyways— I’m just glad to finally meet you Esther!”
“You too— I guess?” Responded the girl. She looked deep in thought for a moment then started speaking once again. “Not to ruin the vibe or anything, shouldn’t you like… Hate Abaddon for taking over your body or something?”
Nathaniel’s smile dropped. “Uhm… Well… I do not hate Abaddon. He did take over my body… And my life… But after so many years together I suppose he has grown on me. My father always did say not to use the word “loathing” so lightly, it is unholy, in God's eyes everyone can be redeemed. In addition, my father also stated that “Kindness is Infectious” and I believe that theory to be working out quite well! Abaddon has become kinder after so much time.” The boy explained as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt nervously at the unexpected question.
Abaddon scowled. “Me?! Kinder?! I am ABADDON! King of Shrimp, The Prince of The Underworld and I will NOT be infected with your human weakness that you call “kindness”. How DARE you assume—“
Esther interrupted the demon. “OKAY! Okay! We get it!”
Suddenly, a loud scream could be heard throughout the hotel. “ESTHER! ABADDON! GET OVER HER RIGHT NOW!” Barked Katherine.
“Oh crap… I feel like we’re in trouble.” Said Esther.
Abaddon just sighed and started talking once more. “Nathaniel, I must go, I shall see you some other time. Farewell.” As he was about to turn and walk away, the boy in the mirror yelped.
“W-Wait! Promise you’ll visit me again—? Both of you? I’m really lonely and—“
“I understand.” Abaddon responded. “ Me and Esther shall come together soon to visit you. But for now, this meeting is over since the matriarch requires us.” Abaddon turned and walked away, Nathaniel started slowly disappearing from the mirror with Abaddon’s departure.
“See ya Nathaniel, it was fun talking to you!” Exclaimed Esther. Her mother shouted once more and Esther ran off.
The boy in the mirror waved Esther goodbye, even as she ran to her mother’s voice and couldn’t see him. Slowly, he faded back into the darkness he once was in.