Beaten, stoned, shunned — Helpless as he sat in the corner of the street in a fetal position. He covered his bruised arms and legs; his eyes turned black and his mouth swollen. Cursed at the moment of his birth, his body was despised as useless and the body of a devil.

Why?

His hair and eyes were pitch-black — Symbolizing the darkness and evil. What's more; in a world where magic is the necessity to live. He was someone who didn't even have the slightest of mana. Living in a slum with a noble's name was even more worst for the boy. 

"Why am I like this?"

He tried to stand up, holding his stomach to support himself. He was so wounded yet the fire in his eyes was akin to that of a knight. His black eyes that turned to anger was so bottomless that if you stare at it; even for a second, you might never get out again. That's why he was feared; his eyes has no shine, just pitch-black.

He hated himself; to the point that he would even shun himself. He was willing to sell himself for a better life but even if he became a slave; no slave merchant would even want to take him in. He was the incarnation of a bad luck; a black cat.

Just as he stood up straight; a shout was heard in the distance.

"There he is!"

A group of four kids his age was chasing him and finally; they found him again. The boy panicked as his eyes dialated and quickly ran away. The group chased him again.

The boy was sweating furiously and his heart was beating fast. He was already exhausted and forcing it to beat fast would ask him to pass out in an instant but he begged for his body to work; even with the bruises and wounds. Running the alleys left and right; jumping from fence to boxes. 

Until finally.

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"Dead end punk."

The group of four corned the black cat with their fist cracking. The black cat was afraid as he took something from his clothes and handed it to the group. It was a load of bread. 

The group smiled as one of them stepped forward and nabbed the loaf of bread.

"Please let me go."

The black cat begged. The group of four laughed like they were in a comedy show. One of the group pulled him by his chest and punched him in the stomach.

"Do you think we're gonna let a cursed child like you to get loose?"

The boy said as punched the cat more and more until he kicked him away; hitting his head on the wall behind him.

"Give me the thing."

"But."

"GIVE IT TO ME!"

His group tried to rebel but he was too strong for the others to disobey. One of the group took a sharply-pointed knife in his pocket as he shakingly gave it to him.  He took the knife as he pulled the black cat by his hair, making him cry in pain. He pointed the knife in his throat as he said his goodbyes.

"This is what you get for stealing our food."

He lifted his arms with the point-edge below his fist and with a simple stroke...

...

A gust of air stopped the group in the alley as a man in dark cloaks watched as the group ganged up on a little black cat. His face was covered by the cloak; only showing his grinning mouth. 

The moment was silence that even the black cat was surprised. The group was alarmed as they were surprised of the enigma that appeared before them; yet they smiled. Thinking the man was one of those that despised the black cat's existence.

Yet, in the blink of an eye; the group was stuck in the walls with their bones shattered into pieces. They were pushed so hard that they blasted to the wall as dust and speckles of rocks rain. In the blink of an eye, they were dead.

The man was already in front of the black cat, looking sideways; at the group that was crushed into pieces. He turned his head around and simply asked.

"What is your name?"

"..."

The black cat was scared to the point that he can't even open his own mouth.

"What is your name?"

The man insisted.

"Jo-Johann Von... Urfaust."

The man smiled as he took something in his pocket and threw it at Johann that was lying on the ground. It was a necklace with a miniature book at the top of it. The moment he looked back at the man, he disappeared without a trace.

Johann stood up when he realized that the aching pain was gone. He looked at his body and he was surprised that it was gone.

"Who... was that man?"

He looked at the necklace as he grabbed it tightly; thinking that it may be important. Maybe with this necklace, he'll find the man again. Without a moment to waste, he wore the necklace as he felt something odd.