Happiness is illusion

The night was heavy. The room lay in complete darkness, broken only by the soft, rhythmic creak of the ceiling fan. Though it spun slowly, it made a sound loud enough to wake the dead. An owl perched on the window sill, its glowing eyes fixed on me—as if watching over a sleeping corpse.

Then the bed shook slightly.

“Wake up, buddy,” said the demon. “Here we go again.”

Sillyic groaned. “Let me sleep. I’m tired.”

The demon smiled, a crooked grin tugging at his uneasy face. “Tired of what? Always thinking? Avoiding reality? Hiding in illusions?”

“It’s none of your business. Just leave.”

The demon leaned closer, whispering, “You’ll lose your only friend too. Then who’ll you talk to?”

Sillyic’s voice softened. “Wait. I don’t want to lose you. Come sit. Tell me—what are we talking about tonight? The world full of corrupt people? Money that everyone chases? Beauty that’s only defined by how white your skin is?”

The demon settled beside him. “Why not talk about happiness?”

Sillyic let out a dry laugh. “Happiness? Tell me why we can’t ever stay happy. The guy with a cycle wants a bike, the biker dreams of a car, the car owner longs for a luxury ride. And somewhere, someone’s crying because they can’t even afford a meal. What kind of twisted world is this?”

“That’s just how it is,” the demon said calmly. “Everyone carries their own invisible bucket of water. Each one heavy in its own way. Every mind holds its own illusions, and those illusions have consequences. You see, happiness isn’t permanent—it’s fleeting. That’s why you need to make peace with sorrow, with terror-filled nights, and with demons like me.”

Sillyic looked puzzled. “What do you mean—make peace with sorrow?”

“You don’t even recognize happiness when it’s there,” the demon said. “Only after it’s gone—when people change, when life shifts—do you realize how happy you once were. Happiness often shows up wearing ordinary clothes, and we’re too distracted to notice.”

Sillyic stayed quiet. The words stung because they were true.

“Happiness,” the demon continued, “isn’t something you can store in a jar or hold in your hands forever. Its value comes from its impermanence. That’s what makes it beautiful, but also painful. Knowing it will leave—that’s the sad part. But it doesn’t mean you stop seeking it. You just learn to appreciate it while it’s there, and let it go with grace when it fades.”

He paused, then added, “Only when you accept both joy and sorrow can you truly understand what it means to be human.”

Sillyic looked away, eyes heavy. “So… happiness is an illusion?”

“In a way, yes,” the demon replied. “But that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. Just… don’t build your life around chasing it. Learn to sit with sadness. Learn to exist in silence. Find comfort in the discomfort. That’s where real peace begins.”

The sky outside had started to change—deep blue giving way to soft shades of gray. Morning was creeping in.

Sillyic stood up slowly. “I have to go to work. Will you come again tomorrow?”

The demon smiled gently. “Of course. I have nowhere else to go. I’m alone… just like you.”