《• ʀ ᴇ ʙ ɪ ʀ ᴛ ʜ •》[ ᴍᴜᴢᴀɴ x ᴏᴄ ]

C18- ☆Starlight☆

In the perfect world, there is peace and harmony. Humans aren't careless and they don't have to worry about man eating monsters roaming the night. They don't have to fear for their life and not hide in the corner of their room, seeking refuge from the demons.

Fear would almost be nonexistent.

But this isn't the perfect world. Because in this world, humans die all the time and are preyed upon by demons. In this world, humans struggle and fight, taking up their sword and swinging with all their might even though it's futile against such supernatural monsters with incredible healing abilities.

Humans are careless, brash and impulsive and because of their volatile emotions, they end up clouding their judgment.

In the imperfect world that they live in, someone can be aware and naive at the same time. Someone is capable of hating and loving the same person at the same time. And some people are capable of being strong even though they're weak.

A world of contradictions is a place where humans live in. Almost everyone is a walking contradiction. It is human nature to be, the state of indifference where one is incapable of really choosing and making a firm decision. This is why the grey area exists.

In Nao's early years as a child, she was drilled with the fact that the outside world was not a safe place. Man eating monsters called demons roam the place during the night while tainted humans roam the place during the day.

Nao always did wonder why demons were so different from humans. Demons were former humans and just because they've undergone transformation, doesn't mean they've lost their emotions and humanity altogether.

They were still human inside even if their outer appearance has changed.

How cruel it was to believe such a naive little thing.

It was when Nao turned twelve that she realized, humans are even worse than demons. And demons were just feral beasts wearing a human's skin.

It was then that she understood that being in the grey won't help her at all.

"Yuko-chan, Kagaya-onii-sama says we shouldn't go out at night. It isn't safe. There are demons." Nao was young and still oblivious back then and it was that night during her birthday when everything changed. It was when she realized that the world could be so cruel and merciless.

"Nao-hime, are you scared? If you're scared, you can go back. I'm fine on my own!" Red hair and a dark pair of eyes. Yuko was her very first female friend and she was the only one Nao could talk to when she wanted to know something.

"I'm not scared... It's just too dangerous for us. Please listen and think this properly. We can just go back in the morning."

Yuko brushed her off.

"It's fine. We'll be okay. We just need to visit the temple and then we can go back. "

"Really?"

Yuko smiled. "Really!"

Thinking back  Nao regret agreeing. That single decision she made caused everything in her life to turn upside down.

"Yuko-chan, who is this?" Nao asked when they arrived, noticing a dark figure waiting at the top of the stairs.

It was dark and there were barely any light coming from the moon so she couldn't see the person properly.

"Oh! That's my brother!" Yuko told her, voice sickly sweet and innocent as she turned to Nao.

"Are you sure? He looks off." Nao answered, taking a few steps back. Her gut was telling her that something is wrong and before she knew it, Yuko's hand grabbed her wrist and began leading her to the temple.