Death's Incarnate

Prologue

* WARNING * Story will contain PROFANITY, BLOOD, VIOLENCE, and other trigger warnings.

*****

   Flames spreading everywhere... It was hard to breathe... 

   "Mari... I'm scared... What happened?! Where is mama?" A red haired boy named Azuki coughed and tugged my sleeve. 

   "Don't worry, we'll be alright. Everything will be fine. Mama Lucillia must be outside, so we just have to find a way to get out. It's not safe here." I tried to comfort him, "Follow me"

   "Mama... Mamaaa!!! Wake up!!! Please! Don't leave us!! Mama..." 

   ​​​​​"Azuki, Mariko, Charlotte, let's go. We need to run from this place, now!! This place is not safe anymore." A sapphire haired girl named Annie said as we ran away from the orphanage. 

   "But... What about the others? There are still some that were inside the orphanage!" Charlotte complained. 

   Annie sighed, "... We have no time to save them. But I'm sure that Keito and Linda have taken care of them, so no need to worry." 

   "We will go to somewhere far away... And safe. I assure you, nothing bad will happend to us once we arrived there."

   "But is there any place that's safe for the likes of me? There isn- Agh!!!" Charlotte's words were cut as she was caught by a chain. 

   "CHARLOTTE!!! NO! Annie, we need to help her!!" I screamed and tried to help Charlotte, but Annie held my hand and continued to run. 

   "They've caught her using that chain. There isn't anything we can do to help her. But I hope that she can leave before her 'cleansing' starts..." 

   Then, Azuki screamed. 

   "Azuki! NO!!!"

   Everything fades to black. 

*****

   I woke up. 

   "That dream again..."

   "It's not real... It's. Not. Real. It was just a dream..."

   My name is Mariko, so you can just call me that. I don't have any surname, or rather, I don't know my surname. But one thing that I know, is that I am a demon. 

   Ah, there aren't many demons here. Those who are, however, will be seen as a huge threat. Lucillia herself is also a demon. She taught me a simple magic that can hide my tail and horns. 

   I never knew who my real parents were. Lucillia, the owner of the Spring Crocus Orphanage, said that she found me unconcious in front of her orphanage amidst the harsh autumn wind. She took me in to be raised in the orphanage. 

   Everything went pretty fine. Sure, there are people who always wanted to bother me, there are people who really hate my guts. But aside from that, everything went fine. 

   But strangely, I can't recall any memories that happened on my thirtheenth birthday. All I can remember was I woke up inside a cabin that was located in the middle of a woods, with bandages wrapped around me.