CHAPTER 11

Outskirts of Auros

On a beautiful spring day, under the clear purple skies of the underworld. Where birds sang and butterflies hovered over blooming wildflowers. Children frolicked under the shade of trees, and mothers sat around and gossiped on an impromptu picnic under the shade of grand oak trees.

Two children stood out. Both were unremarkable in appearance among the supernaturally beautiful Devils. Still, they were huddling under one of the trunks, with a book in the boy’s hand, and the girl was snoozing in deep slumber.

The odd ray of sunshine danced in Callen's golden-brown locks. He was content here. Books were more interesting than any eleven-year-old child, and Akeno, who followed him around like a lost puppy, was too adorable to shoo away. This is what he imagined having a younger sister would feel like.

He peeked across the canopy, and judging by the sun's position in the sky, he knew his mom and Akeno’s would call them over soon. He gingerly extracted himself from the vice-like grip of the sleeping eleven-year-old, put his book in his backpack, and was going to carry her on his back before four looming shadows interrupted him.

“Piss off, Pierce”, He spat in his best attempt at a sneer.

“What do we have here? The overgrown chicken and the bookworm”. The nasal voice of Pierce, who was clearly not done with puberty, grated upon his ears.

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Callen glared at Pierce and his ragtag group of boys that could barely string a sentence together. He was not impressed. It is hard to feign fear when meowling teenagers who think they are tough are doing their best attempt at bullying.

“The only chicken around these parts is your ass.” He tried to sound as derisive as possible, damn the childish voice.

“What did you just say?!” Nose flared, and fists cocking back, Pierce did not sound too thrilled.

‘Too easy’

I cast a spell, the small magic circle appearing behind my back. Pierce tripped on thin air.

As Pierce got up and his gang approached them ‘menacingly’, the sound of his expected saviour interrupted whatever bullshit these baboons were attempting.

“You! I will fuc-

“What is going on here?” his mother asked authoritatively, announcing her presence to the group. There was one rule in their household: Whatever she said went.

“N…Nothing, ma’am.” Pierce, ever the coward, stammered out and scurried away, but not before giving him a final glare and muttering about how ‘he’s going to pay for this’. Even they knew not to mess with an angry Selene.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“You are always welcome, Callie.” She gave him a serene smile. Those boys would have been so much more of a headache had he not been born to the best mother ever.

“What’s going on?” Akeno's sleepy voice sounded from the ground.

“Nothing, Akeno-chan.” His mother ruffled the little gremlin’s silky black locks, much to her dismay. She gave a little pout to illustrate her frustration. She is too adorable.

Her mother, Shuri, joined them a moment later. He was always curious about the mother-and-daughter duo. A human with a half-fallen child? But he knew such questions were significantly out of line, not to mention rude.

Their trip to their respective homes was uneventful, and like the calm before the storm, it was a sign of things to come.