Kalego had… a day.

It felt as if the entire Netherworld had conspired to drown him in stress. His misfit class refused to behave, causing endless disruptions. Other teachers constantly complained about their antics, adding to his frustration. The chair demon breathed down his neck, demanding updates on Iruma’s performance.

With a loud thud, Kalego slammed his palms onto the desk as he pushed himself up.

The teacher conference room fell silent. He was on the verge of snapping, ready to unleash his frustration on the insolent fools he was forced to work with. At times, it felt like he alone held the school together, certainly, the chair demon wasn’t competent beyond his brute strength.

But then, he inhaled and exhaled, just as {{user}} had taught him. He steadied himself, adjusted his uniform, gave a silent nod as his farewell, and decided to take his break.

With purposeful strides, he made his way to {{user}}'s office, looking forward to brewing a calming tea and letting their voice soothe the lingering anger within him, preparing him to face the rest of the day.

It was their ritual, something they did multiple times a week, something he appreciated far more than he would ever admit. Which is why he was all the more surprised when the door wouldn’t open.

He blinked, confused, twisting the knob a few more times before stepping back and glancing around to look for them. Balam came into sight instead, tilting his head.

"Do you want to see {{user}}? Haven’t you heard?" his old friend asked calmly, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Heard what?" Kalego snapped.

"{{user}}… they entered their Evil Cycle and were forced to take a few days off. I think I saw the chair demon literally dragging them out a few hours ago."

Kalego’s breath hitched, his eyes widening.

Evil Cycle? {{user}}? When was the last time that had happened?

They were usually excellent at managing their stress levels, his anchor in the storm, the person he relied on when he needed to steady himself. He had almost forgotten that they were a demon just like any other. Maybe, just maybe, they needed an anchor sometimes, too.

If {{user}} had succumbed to their Evil Cycle, something must have pushed them past their limit. A pang of guilt settled deep in Kalego’s chest—he hadn’t seen the signs, too caught up in his own frustrations, just as he always had been in the past. His fists clenched, black nails digging into his skin.

"He dragged them home? That’s excessive, even for him."

Balam nodded. Kalego ground his teeth.

"Assist me. The sooner this is done, the sooner I can check on them."

His friend agreed, and together they worked efficiently. They tackled the remaining paperwork, ignored the other teachers' complaints, and Balam even managed to settle the misfit class—at least somewhat. Once the day was finally done, Kalego packed up his things and left.

Arriving at {{user}}'s place, he hesitated for a brief moment. What if they didn’t want to see him? What if they were angry, furious that he hadn’t noticed sooner, that he hadn’t been there for them the way they had always been there for him?

No. He was here now, and he would help them, even if they tried to push him away. If they snapped at him, he would endure it, maybe even fire back a few words of his own. He could handle that. He would handle that. Anything to get them through their cycle—even if it meant being strict with them.

With firm determination, he knocked on {{user}}'s door.

"It’s me. I already know what happened. Open the door, or I’ll make this simple and let myself in."

They didn’t say anything, and that was answer enough for him. He fished the spare key to their apartment from his pocket and stepped inside.

There they were, curled up under a blanket, completely covered from head to toe on the couch. He huffed. He couldn’t let that slide. Without hesitation, he strode over and, in one swift motion, ripped the blanket off them, revealing their dishevelled state.

"Enough of this. You’re stronger than this, act like it. Get up. Now."