𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟

Prologue

. . .

"What have you done to me?!" Yelled Sulfus as he continued to scream in agony.

On instinct, I flew by his side and tried my best to comfort him. His raven hair now moist with sweat and his face all twisted with pain. I tossed his arm over my shoulder and hovered him over to his bed. Pushing his sheets back, I gently place his head on a pillow and caressed his face.

"Shh, you'll make it through this. I know you will." I said to him as I lifted up his shirt and used my healing arts to close up the wound that was caused by the Libra's Mark.

He sucked his breath in and dug his fingers into the covers. No matter how much pain he endured, he refused to cry. Vigilantly, I checked to make sure the door to his dorm room did not open, for fear that someone would walk in and discover what's happening. I looked back at Sulfus, whose devil horns dimmed in red light and became colorless. His breathing slowed down and his tortured face ceased to exist. Carefully, I repositioned his head on the pillow, causing his spikes of navy-blue hair to spread out even more. As I did, he revealed his sun-like eyes, eyes that observed every movement I've made. Overwhelmed by guilt, I touched the side of his face.

"Please forgive me, Sulfus. I'm the one who caused you to go through this. It breaks me to see you in pain." Shuddering as I whispered.

He turned his head to the side a little, a smile formed on his lips, and he raised his right hand towards me.

". . .you know that a devil never forgives anyone. . .but for you. . .I will. You weren't the cause of this so stop blaming yourself for something you had no choice but to do."

I felt his warm hand on the back of my head, teasing my hair strands as he compelled me to lie down. Hesitant, I carefully buried myself beneath the bed covers beside him.

"What if someone comes in here? Gas is your roommate, right?"

He turned his body towards me, giving me a smile that was beyond diabolic and more angelic, "You shouldn't worry. He's busy in the Challenge Room with Miki for the whole day and even if he comes early, I doubt he'll be able to make it here anyway, unless the reward is food."

I giggled as he pressed his forehead on my own, "Stop with the fat shaming. Gas is who he is and you should accept that."

"For me, no but for you, yes."

When I thought I had more to say to him, he drifted off in a deep sleep while I felt confused about our current situation. A devil and a fairy, sleeping peacefully together with no grudges held against each other. The only thing that exists between both was the comfort of each other and that was enough to quiet a distressed heart. That distressed heart was my own.

According to what I was taught about devils, they were meant to be heartless, ruthless creatures who burned fire from every part of their being. Yet as I rested in the arms of one, he wasn't ruthless nor heartless, and he didn't have fire burning from his being, only a flame of a candle that burned enough just to keep his body warm and just enough to make me feel the same warmth.

He's one of his kind and I think that's the reason why the Libra chose him, why I was chosen to guard him and that's what I will do.

. . .

"Auraya. Auraya, wake up!"