As the light took the soul away, Chronos spoke to Lucille
"My lord...are you sure about this, making him your final...and only remaining choice?"
"..." the devil remained silent
"Should he fail...that'll be the end of our ambition...and ...your..." Chronos' words trailed; he knew better than to voice them out.
"A choice even time cannot undo, that is the choice I have made Chronos. There is no use pondering what might've been now," said the devil as he started slowly fading away himself
"Besides, I have a really...ironically, good feeling about this one."
"My lord..."
"If I don't come back...then I leave everything to you, Chronos."
Chronos takes a knee as a sign of respect
"I shall await your return, my lord."
The devil smiled and then vanished completely, saying nothing else
7 years later
Ampha Town
In a small cottage uphill, a young boy, 7 years of age, was practicing swordsmanship with a wooden sword in his backyard.
"Naki! We're heading out now. Don't forget to pick out the laundry if it rains, okay?" a woman's muffled voice said from within the house.
"Sure thing, mother!" Naki replied
"Your father and I will bring your next instructor soon. Until then, don't leave the house, okay?"
"Mother, I got it!" he replied again, slightly annoyed
Naki's parents left for downtown
Then he stared at the black leather fingerless glove he had equipped on his right hand, recalling the events that had led to it.
"[It didn't take too long for me to realize the difference between being reincarnated by a goddesss, and being reincarnated by a devil]"
The scenes of 2 years ago flashed in his mind.
He stood alone in the center of the streets, burnt down sheds and buildings around him.
Met with disdain from the citizens of the town that surrounded him
Whispers in the crowd were the words
'cursed child',
'he should be cast away',
'he's the devil spawn, I tell you,' polluted the air
"I...I didn't mean it," Naki muttered within him, but the evidence didn't make for merciful listeners
Later, Naki was shamefully dragged back home by his parents and sent to his room
Then, he overheard them arguing downstairs
"My son burnt an entire market! AN ENTIRE MARKET, AND YOU ARE ASKING ME TO REMAIN CALM!" the mother shouted.
"I understand, dear, but we can't act rashly."
The father replied, gently placing his hands on the mother's shoulder, who was visibly stressed.
"Grandma Tessa will be here soon, she'll know what to do."
"I promise everything will be fine. We just have to remain calm, alright?"
"Oh dear...what is going to happen to my poor boy *sobs*" the mother said, weeping
The father hugged her in an attempt to soften the blow of their son's predicament.
"[I remember after that, I was locked up for 2 days before Grand mother Tessa arrived]"
"[She was the one who gave me these gloves. She called them suppression gloves. Something about keeping the devil's child power in me at bay.]"
Naki was seated in between his parents as they shared the room with their guest, Tessa.
"Thank you for your time, Grandmother. Please, you have to tell us, what is wrong with my boy?" the mother asked warily.
"I, I'm sorry to say this dear, but your son has been marked by Lucille," Tessa said
"What do you mean, granny? Who is this Lucille?" asked the husband
"In ancient tablets are written tales of Lucille Anis Canalli - a being of near unfathomable power - said to rival even that of the gods."
"They say no one knows his true aim, bar the fact that he is an enemy to the divine council of our world."
"An enemy to the divine council!? Who could be so, so callous!!?" the very annoyed wife asked.
But this was less to the fact this Lucille person even existed and more to the fact that he has evidently marked her son.
"That remains the mystery, my dear, but his threat is undeniable. So much he's earned the moniker of the devil by the council and, as such, has become a stigma that is hated by the entire world."
"They say at certain points in time - in order to thwart the divine council's control of the world and everything that lives in it - Lucille claims a soul and manipulates said soul to do his bidding and attempt to defy fate. This soul is known as a devil child."
Tessa said, and gave a brief pause to let the true meaning of that sink in.
"'The devil child is a blight that must be slained, that must be purged on sight' - or so the council commands."
"Such is the fate your son currently faces, should his identity be known."
The wife covered her teary face in fear and extreme sadness as she started worrying about her son's future.
"[It seemed grandma knows about Lucille, the devil that reincarnated me. In a world where I was hated by almost everyone not long after being born.]"
The husband comforted her immediately and forcefully posed a question to the grandmother.
"Granny, isn't there something you can do!? Anything!?" he asked, desperate for a good answer
"Hmph! Who do you think you're talking to, boy!"
"Huh?" the wife stopped sobbing and looked up.
Naki's parents knew all too well the arrogance and confidence behind those words.
Those were the words of someone with a plan.
"I am Tessa, one of the most powerful sages in all of the 3 kingdoms. There's always something I can do," Tessa, the grandmother, said, with her head up proudly.
But her bravado was quickly cut short as she started coughing painfully
"*cough* *cough*"
"Ah, water!! Dear, bring some water!!" the wife commanded as some water was brought promptly to soothe the elder's aching throat.
"Ehmm," she cleared her throat after drinking and then continued.
"A devil child's power is very dangerous and expansive; that is why you both experience pain by Naki's side."
"So, I'm going to craft a pair of gloves for him. Not only will it cover his devil mark, but it will also suppress his untamed power from going wild."
The parents' eyes lit up in hope for such a convenient solution
"This will ensure he doesn't get himself - and you two - into any more trouble until he has grown big enough to master and possibly control the power himself."
"Thank you so much, granny, that will mean the world to us!" the husband said happily.
"Yes, yes. I know, dear, I know," Tessa said, waving her hand casually
"Thank you, Grandma! So when can we expect the glove?" The wife showed her appreciation before asking when this will happen
"It's not just any glove, my dear. The power of a devil child - though small - is still part of the power of Lucille the devil. I will need at least 2 weeks to get it right."
"2 weeks!!! Come on, Granny, can't ol' Tessa trim a good portion of the time with her magnificence?"
"Hmph! silly boy. If it was that easy, why do you think the council wants to have every devil child cut down on sight?"
"What I'm doing is punishable by death without question, so you will let me do it right or not at all! Is that what you want, silly boy?" Tessa said angrily at the husband
"Dear!" the wife angrily called him out.
"Sorry, take all the time you need, grandmother. We shall keep Naki boy out of trouble in the meantime," the father conceded.
"Hmph! That's much better," Tessa said, standing up. "I better get to it then. If I'm to finish on time, I should start now."
Then, the husband stood up and walked to Tessa
"Let me help you get back to the carriage."
She nodded and turned to the wife.
"Remember, dear, while I'm preparing the glove, you are not to take your son outside or let anyone see the mark on his hand."
"Stay indoors at all times and ensure he's well fed, healthy, and has no reason to throw tantrums or burn your home down until I'm done, alright?"
"Understood, grandma. I will do everything in my power to ensure my son's future. I give you my word," the wife said, determined as she held Naki close.
Naki smiled softly as the recollection ends.
"Ever since then, Mother's been real clingy," Naki muttered to himself as he stared up in the skies
"(A power that goes out of control by feeding off malicious intent.)" Naki thought
"If I can't master control, I won't be able to do anything against the devil when he comes."
Naki slowly lifted the gloves and stared at the sigil in his hands
The devil's sigil was heating up, and surrounding it were 7 circles; 3 of them were lit up
"This reappeared after the market fire incident, and throughout the years, 2 of these 7 circles have lit up."
"Grandma predicted when I turn 17, they all would've. So I must do everything to master my power by then, or it might be too late."
Naki re-equipped the gloves to cover the mark
"Assuming something ominous will come when that happens."
"I can only hope the next tutor will fare better than the last one."