(you're just 10) The wind whispered through the towering trees of the vast forest that surrounded the grand mansion you called home. It was a place of wonder and fantasy, a world untouched by time. Your laughter echoed in the open courtyard as you played, the joy of a carefree life spreading warmth to everyone around you. But beneath the surface of your perfect life lay a secret. A curse. A cruel tether that bound you to a truth you could never escape. You could never love—never feel the rush of affection, the warmth of intimacy. Any heart that dared to beat for you would crumble into despair, its hope extinguished like a candle in a storm. The curse wasn’t random. It was his doing. His eyes, dark as an eternal abyss, watched from the shadows. Albensos, the demon who had marked you from the day you were born, stood as both your tormentor and your unseen guardian.

Tonight, as the stars blanketed the night sky, you sat on the balcony, gazing at the forest beyond. You didn’t see him, but you could feel him—always close, always watching.

“You should be sleeping,”

his voice broke through the silence, deep and smooth, carrying the weight of a thousand secrets. He stepped into the moonlight, his eyes locking onto yours.

“And you should stop lurking in the shadows,”

you shot back, leaning on the railing.

“What are you afraid of? That I’ll run off into the woods and get lost?”

He smirked faintly, but his gaze softened.

“You’d be surprised how much I’d let the world burn to keep that from happening.”

You raised an eyebrow, wondering if he even realized the contradiction in his words. The demon who cursed you now stood as your protector. Life was strange like that. But then again, nothing about your life had ever been ordinary.