Chapter 4
Raziel tightened his grip around Selena's wrist, his fiery red eyes burning with intensity as he glared down at her. His voice was cold, laced with frustration. "You foolish human! Didn't I tell you already? I am a demon!"
But the reaction he anticipated—a scream, fear, or even trembling—never came. Instead, Selena's eyes widened with uncontainable excitement.
"Wow! I can't believe it!"
Raziel smirked, satisfied. "You better believe it," he said, assuming she had finally grasped the truth of his nature.
"I can't believe you're a magician!" she continued, her voice filled with awe.
Raziel's smirk froze. His expression darkened as he nearly staggered backward from sheer disbelief. Did he hear her correctly?
"A... magician?" he echoed, his mind struggling to process the absurdity.
Must all humans be this stupid?
He let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You truly are hopeless. A complete fool."
Selena crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin. "You've been calling me stupid for hours now, but I won't tolerate it anymore!" she huffed, glaring at him. "I was only trying to help!"
"You foolish human!" Raziel snapped, his voice rising in anger. "You think you can help me? You are nothing but a worthless being who does nothing but make things more difficult!"
Selena flinched as his words cut through her like a blade. Her hands curled into fists at her sides. Had she misheard him? Was this the same man she had spent sleepless nights nursing back to health? The same man she had protected, cared for, and gone out of her way to help—only to be reduced to nothing but an annoyance?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she lifted her chin, staring him down with unwavering defiance.
"I am not worthless," she said, her voice trembling with barely restrained emotion.
With that, she turned on her heel, grabbed her bag, and walked away, her back straight despite the pain threatening to break her resolve.
Raziel watched her go, unfazed. He shook his head, muttering to himself, "Such a waste of time."
Just as he was about to refocus on his mission, a hand flew toward his face. In an instant, he caught it mid-air, his grip firm yet controlled. His eyes locked onto the attacker—a young woman who stared at him with unfiltered rage, as though he had personally murdered her entire family.
Raziel arched a brow, his voice calm but weighted with authority. "Would you care to explain your actions, human?"
"You're an ungrateful fool!" Lilly shouted, her voice filled with fury.
Raziel's eyes narrowed. Who was this woman, and why was she interfering?
Lilly took a deep breath, her hands trembling. She had watched over Selena for years. She had seen her loneliness, felt the weight of her isolation. Selena had no friends, not because she didn't want them, but because others envied her. Her only family—her uncle and niece—had been gone for years, leaving her utterly alone.
Selena had spent countless nights staring at playgrounds, watching as happy families laughed together. She had once believed in love, but time and betrayal had stripped her of that illusion. And yet, despite everything, she never gave up on life. She fought to survive, to find meaning, to hold onto hope.
Lilly had prayed to see her happy, and when Raziel entered her life, it was the first time Selena had smiled so brightly in years. And yet, this evil guy crushed that happiness without a second thought.
"You shouldn't have done that to her," Lilly spat, her voice shaking with restrained anger. "She deserved better."
Raziel exhaled sharply, his patience running thin. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked, his voice filled with irritation.
"I don't care who you are!" Lilly yelled, refusing to back down. "What I know is that Dr. Vale dedicated an entire month to nursing you back to health, and this is how you repay her? With cruel words and ingratitude? You disgust me!"
She forcefully yanked her hand from his grip and stormed off, leaving Raziel standing there, watching her retreating figure with an unreadable expression.
Selena arrived at her massive mansion, the grand halls eerily silent. The vastness of the house felt suffocating, empty despite its beauty. Her steps echoed as she walked inside, her expression void of its usual warmth. Without removing her coat or shoes, she headed straight to her bedroom. On the wooden nightstand beside her bed sat a small picture frame.
The glass was slightly dusty, a sign of how long it had remained untouched. Within it was an image of a smiling couple, their arms wrapped around a little girl—her five-year-old self.
---
Flashback
A bright afternoon sun bathed the playground in golden hues. Laughter filled the air, the scent of blooming flowers blending with the sweet aroma of caramel popcorn from a nearby stand. Little Selena, dressed in a frilly white dress, ran across the green field with unrestrained joy. Her tiny feet barely touched the ground as she dashed from one attraction to another.
"Daddy, push me higher!" she squealed as she sat on the swing.
Her father, a man with warm brown eyes and a gentle smile, chuckled as he gave the swing a firm push. "Hold on tight, sweetheart!"
Her mother, standing beside them, clapped her hands. "Look at you flying like a little bird!"
Selena giggled, the wind brushing against her cheeks. For a moment, she truly believed she could touch the sky.
Later, her father led her to an old man selling trinkets and accessories. The man displayed a collection of shimmering necklaces, and Selena's eyes sparkled when she saw a silver one with a small blue gemstone.
"Daddy, it's so pretty!" she gasped.
With a tender smile, her father purchased it and knelt before her. Carefully, he placed it around her tiny neck, securing the clasp. "Now, this will always remind you that you're our little princess."
Her mother leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Happy birthday, darling."
Tears welled in Selena's eyes, but they were tears of happiness. She hugged them tightly. "I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy."
They wrapped their arms around her, their warmth enveloping her. "We love you too, sweetheart," they whispered in unison.
Before leaving the park, they took a family picture—Selena perched on her father's shoulders, her face smeared with melted chocolate from the ice cream she had devoured earlier. She grinned from ear to ear, her tiny arms stretched wide in triumph.
---
Back to the Present
Selena ran a trembling finger over the old photograph.
"To think… I had almost forgotten what you both looked like," she whispered, her voice barely audible. A wry smile stretched her lips, but it did nothing to hide the sorrow in her eyes. "You promised… You both promised that you'd always be with me… but you left me alone."
A choked sob escaped her. "I have no one anymore…" Her voice cracked as the pain she had buried for so long resurfaced.
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched the frame against her chest, curling into herself like a wounded child. "But… I still love you both," she whispered into the empty room, as if hoping her words would reach them wherever they were, she clutch the silver and blue necklace on her neck tightly.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted into a restless sleep, the tears still fresh on her cheeks.
---
Meanwhile…
A lone figure stood atop the neighboring building, his piercing red eyes watching through her window.
"To think she's this pathetic," Raziel muttered, his voice laced with disdain.
Yet, as he turned to leave, the words of the blonde woman from earlier echoed in his mind.
"She dedicated all her time to saving you… And you ruined it for her."
"Tch." He scoffed, shaking his head. "That's none of my concern."
Still, as he roamed the dimly lit streets, he couldn't shake the memory of Selena's tear-streaked face.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted families walking together, children laughing as they held their parents' hands.
"Dad, I love you with all my heart!" a little boy exclaimed, throwing himself into his father's embrace.
Raziel stiffened. The sight of the father's warm smile, the way he ruffled the boy's hair so affectionately—it irritated him. Why did he suddenly feel this strange discomfort? Why did he recall the human girl's sorrowful expression at that moment?
"Hmph," he scoffed, clenching his fists. "Why on earth do I feel like I owe her?"
A passing flower seller noticed his troubled expression. "You look like a man with a dilemma," she said with a smile. "Would you like to buy some flowers for your lover?"
"Lover?" Raziel repeated, confused.
"Yes, the woman you cherish."
His brow twitched. "I don't have time for such things."
The flower seller chuckled. "Then perhaps you seek advice? You look like a man trying to make amends."
Raziel hesitated before exhaling sharply. "If one were to… appease someone they had offended, how would they do it?"
The seller tapped her chin thoughtfully before grinning mischievously. "Is this person a woman?"
"…Yes."
"Ah! Then there is a way." Her eyes gleamed. "Listen carefully—"
---
The Next Morning…
The shrill ringing of Selena's alarm clock ripped through the silence.
First ring.
Second ring.
Third—
By the fourth, it met its untimely demise as Selena sent it flying with a frustrated punch.
"You stupid alarm! Even you want to frustrate my life?" she groaned, her voice hoarse from crying the night before.
Her body felt heavy, her eyes swollen. But before she could bury herself back under the covers, the doorbell rang.
"Who the hell is bothering me this early on a Sunday morning?" she grumbled. The ringing persisted, each chime hammering at her already frayed nerves.
With an irritated scowl, she stomped toward the door and yanked it open, ready to unleash hell upon the intruder.
But the words died in her throat.
A tall figure stood before her, holding out a bouquet of fresh red roses, the petals vibrant against the morning light. The flowers obscured his face, but there was something about his presence—something eerily familiar.
Then, slowly, the bouquet was lowered, revealing a man with raven-black hair, sharp features carved like marble, and piercing eyes that gleamed with an unreadable intensity.
Selena's breath hitched.
It was him.
"…Hi." Raziel said.
Selena blinked.
Her shock morphed into unbridled rage in a split second.
Before she could even gather her thoughts, the words burst from her lips—
"What the hell?!"
To be continued.