Feature Writer: april_gemini
Feature Title: A DEMON’S LAPSE 1 TO 3
Published: 05.05.2026
Story Codes: Demonic, Transgender
Synopsis: Nora Ramirez is ensnared in the demon’s clutches.
A Demon’s Lapse
CHAPTER ONE
The early summer afternoon was warm but breezy. Nora Ramírez sat against a pillar belonging to the majestic colonnade of the ampitheatre in the park, reading a book that she picked from the library. Another romance. After a long shift at the diner serving customers, she was now unwinding. The gentle rustling of the tree leaves and the singing birds were all background music for her to be immersed in her own world. People of all sorts were enjoying the sunny day. Parents played with their children and kids laughed as they got lost in their games.
She noticed the couples in love. A man kissed his girlfriend or wife. It was an alien concept for Nora. She never had luck in the love department. Being born a boy, she was transgender so that rendered her undateable unfortunately. The men who did express interest in her were only after her body as they saw it as something forbidden. She had a crush on a guy at work, one of her fellow waiters, but never had the courage to say anything. She just watched him from afar, stealing glances when she could. He later began to date another waitress and felt a pang of sadness because it was the predictable outcome in her life. She always longed for love, but it was never reciprocated.
Nora was out to her close circle, which was just her older sister by six years, Rosario or Rosie for short. She tucked in a piece of her long raven hair that had fallen in front of her by looking down at her book. The evening sunlight highlighted her caramel skin with olive undertones. Having an androgynous appearance, as she a child she would frequently be “mistaken” for a girl. Her five foot six stature and slender frame helped her “pass” as a woman.
With the first year of university completed, Nora became determined to pursue a future in writing. Now at twenty-one, her love of the written word was her guide. If she didn’t become a professional writer, then she would follow a path in journalism.
An airship flew by. The massive conveyance, the size of a cruise ship, had a gigantic lit-up sign advertising Kimura Group, Inc. They were a powerful, international corporation based in Japan. Nora didn’t pay much attention to business happenings but knew that they were influential players in the global economy. They were involved in matters of scientific research such as bioengineering, robotics, and other technologies.
The evening sky painted the hills of the city with an orange and pink hue. Seeing that it was getting late, Nora decided to start heading home. Rosie and her shared a small studio in a western neighborhood of San Francisco. Both originally from the Central Valley, their parents both tragically died in an accident and went to live with their tia in the southern Bay Area.
Only a few buildings away from her place, Nora’s phone began to buzz and saw Rosario was calling. Growing up, even though they were under the care of their aunt, Rosario had practically raised Nora. When Rosario turned eighteen she took up several jobs to make ends meet and was able to take her little sister with her to the big.
For as long as Nora could remember, she told her older sister how she felt inside. On the outside and to the world, she was a boy, but on the inside she wasn’t. Rosario didn’t understand and at first ignored it. One day, when Nora was twelve, she came crying home from school. “What’s going on,” Rosario asked. “Rosie, I don’t want to live anymore,” Nora said with tears in her eyes.
Rosario hugged her tightly, “Why?”
“I don’t wanna be a boy anymore!”
“Not this again, you’re a niño!”
“No! No, I’m not!”
Nora then put her hand on her chest and said, “I don’t know if I made Diosito mad but I was born wrong. In my heart, I’m a girl.”
At that moment Rosario understood. She, too, began to cry and held her tightly. She would make sure to accept her little sister as who she truly was from then on. The sight of a sad child, her baby sister, broke her heart. “What do you want me to call you then,” Rosario said, wiping the tears off of her little sister’s face. “Nora, my name is Nora,” she told her. “I’m sorry for not believing you before, Nora. You know I will always love you, no matter what,” she reassured her. Nora’s eyes lit up and she felt her soul being restored. She hugged her big sister back, thanking her.
Their resemblance was noticeable, except Rosie was a little taller. She, too, had an olive complexion. They both had their mother’s dark brown eyes. When Nora became old enough to take care of herself Rosie put herself on the market. Unlike Nora, she put her heart on her sleeve. Rosie dated many men but they never stayed. However, that didn’t deter her and vowed to find herself a good man.
“Nora, don’t go home” asked Rosie in a serious tone.
Nora chuckled, “Why not? Did you plan a surprise party for me?”
“I’m not joking, don’t go home. Where are you right now?”
Nora’s smile vanished as soon as she realized that her sister was being for real. She was almost at their apartment building when she saw a group of men, five of them, dressed in black standing around the doorsteps. “I’m almost home but some guys are here,” she whispered. “Get away from there and call me when you’re in a safe place,” said Rosie and hung up. The men had seen her and Nora kept walking. “Hey,” a deep voice called out to her. Pretending not to hear, the man called out again, “You there.” Nora slowly turned around and gave the man a confused look, “Yes?”
“We’re looking for Rosario Ramírez, do you know her,” the man said. He and the other men looked like they could’ve been bouncers at a club. They were of East Asian descent. Assuming the man who was speaking to her was the leader, Nora noticed how he looked about five foot nine or ten and in his late forties. His hair was graying and had a slightly wrinkled face. Were they mobsters? Why would Rosie be involved with such people? “Ha ha, I’m sorry, I’ve never heard that name before, I better get going or else I’ll miss my bus,” Nora smiled widely.
Suddenly, a window above opened and Nora’s annoying neighbor, Gorland, stuck his head out and said, “Hey Nora, some guys were looking for your sister, Rosie!” Gorland was a short little pale man with a peanut-shaped head. His eyes bulged out and looked as if they were going to pop out of their sockets at any moment. He would always stop Nora or Rosie in the hallway and make small talk that would go on for hours. Neither of them had the heart to tell him to leave them alone though. He looked down and pointed at the men, “Oh, it was those guys!” You stupid idiot!
The leader narrowed his sights on her, “You’re gonna need to come with us, miss.” Nora pretended to look clueless and pointed at herself. It took less than a second for her to bolt out of dodge. “Hey, come back here,” ordered the man as he and his men began to pursue her. Gorland shouted behind her, “Hey, where ya goin’?”
All that went through Nora’s head was how to get to safety, quickly. She hadn’t run this fast in forever. She headed eastward, up the hill. Badump! Badump! What did you get yourself into, sis? When she got to an intersection she saw a trolley coming her way and quickly hopped on. She ducked behind a window and peeked to see that the men were on the sidewalk, searching. The trolley conductor approached her, “Sorry miss, this car is out of service, you’ll have to catch the next one!” She frantically shook her head at him, pleading to stay aboard, to no avail and pushed her out.
Trying to get up off the pavement quickly, the men spotted her and surrounded her. She raised her hands, “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding.” A black windowless van pulled up and was thrown in.
CHAPTER TWO
The ride felt like an eternity. Everything was dark. Terrified, never in her life did she think she would end up being involved with the mob. The van stopped and they took her out. With her hands tied behind her back they placed her in a chair. Suddenly, someone swiped the sack off her head and she was blinded by a bright light. She squinted as she looked around to see that they took her to some warehouse. The presumed leader emerged from the light and said, “You better tell us where your sister is or else my boss will hurt you both.”
Nora replied nervously, “I don’t know where she is, I swear!” The man scoffed and asked her again but the answer was the same. He gestured to the other men and they began to crack their knuckles. Shaking her head in fear, she pleaded to be let go. The leader’s phone rang and he answered. He put his hand up to stop the men and stepped out to take the call.
“Did you find her,” asked the man on the other end. “No, sir, but we did find her sister and she claims she doesn’t know where she is,” said the underling. “Kill her, that’ll bring her out,” the boss said curtly. “With all due respect, boss, shouldn’t we keep her around? It might scare her off and we may never find her,” said the man. There was a moment of silence. “Fine then, bring her, we’ll use her as bait,” ordered the boss and hung up. The man headed back inside.
When the man came back he ordered the men move Nora back into the van. “Wait, what are you doing? Where are you taking me,” she yelled. The men proceeded to put the bag over her head again. Nora tried to wriggle away from their grasp but they were too strong. Placing her back into the van, they drove off. Still struggling about, Nora heard a hissing sound making her cough and she began to feel weak. Her eyelids felt heavy and everything went black.
The man on the phone was Kiyohira Kimura, president of Kimura Group, Inc. He vowed to punish that son-of-a-bitch Nakano and his lover, Rosario Ramírez. The traitor decided to steal top secret data from the biotech branch for reasons unknown. The company had been engineering new technological advancements using the element, Sapphirium. An extremely potent element that provided long-lasting energy, it was more efficient than conventional power sources, but rare. Having a deep blue color, like a sapphire, gave it its name.
Hanging up the phone, he calmly walked toward the group of men facing him. The rain was pouring and lightning briefly illuminated the night sky. Bodyguards accompanied him on both sides. They stood on the rooftop of a building in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The men standing before them were the Kokuja Clan and their leader. “We didn’t have to do this if you had just accepted my offer, Mr. Takumi,” Kiyohira declared as he stood in the rain. “I would never surrender my organization to the likes of you. I said the same thing to your father and I’ll say the same to you. I will never submit to your family,” answered Takumi. Kiyohira laughed, “The old man didn’t have it in him but make no mistake, I’m nothing like him.” The Kokuja men pulled out their swords and guns. “I will die before bowing down to you,” said Takumi as he drew his katana.
Kiyohira smirked as Takumi and his men charged towards their opponents. He dodged Takumi, kicking him to the floor. Being trained in several martial arts, Kiyohira was a powerful fighter. Takumi tasted wet concrete as he crashed down. Standing up, he wiped the blood from his mouth, spitting out the metallic-tasting crimson fluid. Whilst the men were fighting each other, Kiyohira walked over to Takumi. Swinging the sword once more, Kiyohira slapped it out of his hands and kicked it away. Pow! Kiyohira’s fist broke his nose. Takumi was a fearsome opponent, being trained in the traditional art of the Kokuja Clan. Not only was his honor on the line, the legacy of his clan was too. The Kimura Clan was one of their mortal enemies, it was up to him to defend his family. Thrown onto the floor once more, this time Takumi kicked Kiyohira in the chest, sending him close to the edge of the building. He saw this as the moment to deliver the final blow so he charged toward Kiyohira, knocking him off.
Believing he had emerged victorious, Takumi turned to face his men when a shadow engulfed him. Turning around, he saw a figure levitating in front of the neon signs of the buildings across the street. Sharp and slightly twisted horns protruded from its head. Two large wings, webbed like a dragon’s, suspended the figure in the air. A long and tapered tail hung below it. Unwilling to believe the stories he had heard about a demon Kiyohira, the sight confirmed all of them. Kiyohira laughed maniacally and Takumi stood paralyzed. Before the men could gun him down at Takumi’s order, Kiyohira quickly swooped in and grabbed the clan leader by the neck and flew into the sky.
Above the clouds, he held Takumi by the throat. Gasping for air, he struggled to escape Kiyohira’s clutches. With bright red eyes, he looked into Takumi’s soul. “It didn’t have to be this way but you forced my hand, farewell,” Kiyohira said, in a booming and demonic voice. He released him and soared away.
CHAPTER THREE
When Nora came to she felt so groggy after being drugged with whatever substance that was. Laying on a bed in an unfamiliar room she looked around to see there was only one small window, up high at the head of the bed. It was dark outside. What time is it? It was dimly lit and barely furnished, save for the twin-size bed she was on and a small desk with a chair. A closet to the right of the end of the bed and a bathroom was situated across. After a while, the grogginess wore off. The man from before entered the room. “The boss wants to see you,” he said. On the car ride she heard that his name was Matsuda.
Nora’s heart sank and when she stood up from the bed, her knees felt so weak. She followed Matsuda through a hallway that led through a modern looking mansion. Where exactly was this place?
Nora was led into a living room that had sparse decorations. The furniture was sleek and brutalist. Although it was dark, she could see the outline of the ocean through the large rectangular window across the room. There sat a man who looked about thirty. His head leaned back as he smoked a cigarette. Both their eyes met when he blew out smoke, sending chills down Nora’s back. Cough! Cough! She covered her mouth with one hand. He was a handsome man, his skin was pale and his hair was jet black, medium-length, and slicked back, exposing his prominent brow. Eyebrows, thick and arched. His clean-shaven look highlighted his jawline. A scar lay over his left eye that went from the forehead down to the cheek. A lean and muscular body resided under his well-tailored suit. Never had she seen such a man as this in her life. If he wasn’t a mobster, he could’ve been a model.
Matsuda spoke, “Master Kiyohira Kimura.” Nora nodded but he scolded her into bowing. The name was familiar. Could he be the very same Kiyohira Kimura, the president of Kimura Group? Things just became more and more dire realizing that Rosie had crossed a powerful organization. Kiyohira tilted his head as a way to tell his underling to leave the two alone. Nora’s heartbeat quickened, wanting him to stay. “Sit,” he ordered her in a deep and brusque voice. Obeying quickly, she kept her knees together and maintained her gaze downward. She felt his eyes on her as if she were a gazelle and he a lion.
“I’ll give you one more chance to come clean, if you know where she is, tell me now and if you lie to me I’ll make you wish you were never born,” Kiyohira told her. Shivers ran down Nora’s spine at the sound of his rough words. “I’m sorry, I truly don’t know,” she confessed. He looked at her in the eyes as he exhaled smoke. He must’ve been a psychopathic maniac who had probably killed and tortured dozens of people, thought Nora as she looked at him back. His gaze was too much for her so she looked down once more. “Very well, I’ll have my men take care of you,” he said. Nora gulped. All that went through her mind was Rosie and wanted to find out why on earth she would ever be involved in all this.
Having been bullied all her life for being transgender and a misfit, Nora developed thick skin. Tapping into her courage, she decided that this wasn’t how she was going out. Clenching her fists, she looked back at the threatening man, “I want to know exactly why you want my sister. She’s the kindest person ever. How could she have done something for you to threaten her life?” Kiyohira raised an eyebrow and glared at her.
“You have some nerve to be asking questions, kid,” Kiyohira answered. Nora didn’t back down and waited for an answer, but on the inside, she was screaming. Kiyohira went on, “Your ‘kind’ sister’s lover stole something from my company, something vital, I won’t stop looking until it’s been returned.” Lover? What kind of person had Rosie gotten involved with?
“What does that have to do with her, she didn’t do anything,” Nora protested. “When I find him, I’m going to punish him and that will include anyone dear to him,” he answered.
“This isn’t fair, please I beg of you to spare her!”
“If life was fair, he wouldn’t have stolen from me!”
Nora’s face fell down in disappointment and she closed her eyes. “Then let me take her place. Do what you want to me but leave her alone, please,” she pursed her lips inward. Kiyohira’s facial expression had not changed throughout the entire conversation. He just examined her. Whatever was on his mind, she couldn’t gauge. “Very well, I will give you a chance to prove your worth to me. You shall do exactly as I say,” he said with a subtle smirk on his face. Nora felt somewhat relieved but now a new feeling of uncertainty came over her.
Nora heard a door open and saw two beautiful blonde women, one in a short red dress and the other in a black one, come in to sit aside the mob boss. They looked like they just walked off a runway. Sitting down on each armrest, they looked at Nora as if she weren’t present and one of them put her hands on Kiyohira’s broad shoulders, gently stroking them. Nora felt awkward as she sat there. “What are you still doing here? Get out,” Kiyohira barked at her. Startled, Nora got up and quickly exited. When she returned to her room, she jumped on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.
Kiyohira sat in the chair with his playmates at his side and he thought about the girl. He sensed that she was terrified yet still made demands. He wanted to respect that but she didn’t want her to think that she could do as she pleased around here. She had to be put in her place. He picked up his glass of whiskey from the center table. There was something else about her that bothered him and he couldn’t seem to shake it off. His train of thought was interrupted when one of his playmates said, “Let’s go to the bedroom.” He stood up and his tall and muscular body towered over the one in red. The woman in black hugged his backside, tracing his muscles seductively. He pulled her in for a deep kiss and then he lead them both towards the bedroom.
Unable to sleep, Nora was overwhelmed with many thoughts and emotions but they all lead back to that man, Kiyohira. She wondered what it would be like to be held by those big and strong arms of his. She shook her head. Obviously, he was handsome but dangerous.
Nora’s mind drifted back to those women. How many lovers did he have? They were really pretty. She wondered what it would be like to be them. Being trans meant she couldn’t flirt with men at all lest they find out and possibly hurt her. She always kept to herself and crushed from afar. It must’ve been nice to freely express affection and desire like they did.
Something else bothered her. When she was near him, she could sense a dark aura around him. As she laid there in bed, she figured she was overthinking it. He was a bad guy so of course she’d feel that way. She just hoped that Rosie was fine, she must have definitely been worried sick about Nora. She just wanted to be with her and not in this dreary place.
Nora couldn’t just sit and wait around for a miracle to happen. She had to escape but it had to be discreet. If she were to stay, who knows what that man and his men could do to her. There had to be a way. Had she been too quick to offer herself like that? It was no use dwelling on it, she would just have to wait.
Her thoughts began to calm down and then she fell asleep.
THE END OF CHAPTER THREE