Lucifer's eyes slowly opened, devoid of the usual excitement that accompanied his morning wake-up. With a lazy yawn, he sat upright, a departure from his prior restlessness. Just a month ago, his situation would have been vastly different. Restricted within the confines of his home, forbidden to meet friends, study, or play, he found an odd solace in the absence of taunts, rejection, and the disapproving whispers that shadowed him beyond the threshold.

A low chuckle escaped him, an unintended response to the peculiar train of thoughts that occupied his mind. Quickly stifling the laugh, he sheepishly scratched his head as he rose from his bed. Retrieving his white cane ( A cane used by blind people to scan their surroundings or orientation marks) from the bedside, Lucifer navigated his way through the room, stumbling occasionally. Standing before the window, he drew back the curtains, squinting against the sunlight that, though inconsequential to his sightless eyes, still posed a challenge.

As warmth enveloped his face, the dawn chorus of birdsong reached his ears, the scent of wet earth after rain filled his nostrils, and the taste of his mother's freshly baked bun lingered on his palate. Despite these sensory encounters, Lucifer couldn't escape the feeling of being a worthless canopy, unable to appreciate the beauty around him.

Lost in contemplation, he pondered the hypotheticals: Could he see mana if he had his vision? Would his parents be happier? Would he? A solitary teardrop traced his cheek, hastily wiped away. Deep in his thoughts, a knock on the door disrupted the solitude of Lucifer's brooding.

Knock! Knock!

“Judith! Are you at home? I’m Carol. Hey! Open the door.”

Knock! Knock!

“Judith? Hello?” exclaimed Carol a fat lady, well known as ‘The snoopy lady’ of the village. She had a bulky body without a neck and was quite small in stature. She wore a faded pink woollen dress complimenting her pale white skin and an apron on top of it with stains of chocolate. She also had a basket on her left hand which was full of cookies and was covered by a thin cloth. Speaking about her personality, she was a person who loved to meddle and gossip as if it was her only objective ever since her birth.

‘Oh no! Mom said she would arrive in an hour, but she is not back yet. What do I do? She strictly told me not to meet any of our villagers or anybody else. Moreover, it's aunt Carol, mom told me to be extra wary of her’. Lucifer thought to himself. After pondering for a while, he decided just to stay quiet until his mother returned.

“There is no lock outside the door. Lucifer are you at home? Why aren’t you playing with your friends since last month? Are you sick? Hey! Lucifer?” yelled Carol while practically pounding on the door.

"kyaaaaaa" screamed Carol her wits out. Judith appeared out of nowhere behind her back, which took her by surprise.

“ Huff! Oh my! Miss Carol, Huff! are you trying to destroy my door by striking it so hard?” Judith asked her while panting.

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“Oh, dear lord! You surprised me Judith and no! I am just knocking on the door!” Carol stomped with her foot as if she did nothing wrong.

“Yeah, I’m sure you are. By the way, what brings you here Carol? You never once visited our home…what reason brought you here?” asked Judith with a suspicious look.

“My my Judith! aren’t you being rude? I brought cookies which I made myself! Are we just going to talk outside? Lets’ sit and talk” Carol ignored Judith and reached for the doorknob.

“Wait! N-no you can’t! I mean my house is a little messy so maybe next time? “Judith rambled while pushing Carol aside.

“No, it’s oka-“

“Yes, yes I just remembered I forgot to switch off my stove! Sorry Carol, Bye!” Judith cut her off and hastily opened the door and slammed it on her face.

‘Look at this! There is something fishy. I am sure she is trying to hide something; they have been acting strange since last month. What are you hiding Judith? What caused you to panic? I will certainly find out….Kekekeke’ Carol thought to herself while laughing like a maniac with a creepy wicked smile plastered on her face.

************

“Haaa…”

‘Another minute and our whole house would have been in wrecks’ Lucifer sighed heavily as he thought to himself.

Click! Shut!

The door opened and slammed shut as he heard his mom muttering to herself.

“Phew, I arrived just in time or else she could have seen Lucifer.”

Every so often Lucifer thought to himself what would have happened if aunt Carol or someone else had seen him? Why does he have to live in hiding? Why couldn’t he go outside? Meet his friends, teachers and everyone else? Why he couldn’t even meet anyone at home? What’s wrong? what changed? Why him? Why?

But every time he questioned; he was met with silence. They never answered and he stopped questioning.

Lucifer’s life was not always like this. Yes, it was indeed tough, tough because he had no sight but he was happy, they were happy. He still remembered those memories when his mom used to teach him letters and read him a lot of books on magic, his father used to carry him on his shoulders every day after work. Marcus used to buy him sweet buns and feed him with his own hands. But now…he didn’t even recall when his father last caressed him with his hands. It looked like he hated him now, why? What had he done wrong?

He had two great friends with whom he used to play. They chatted together, studied together even sometimes ate and slept together they used to have a lot of fun. Without them, he couldn’t even imagine a single day. Leo and Canary, the only ones who never belittled him, cared for him and loved him…..or so he thought.

‘Don’t they miss me? They never once came to visit me or did they forget about me?’

“Is this because I’m blind? Why can’t I see? why?” Lucifer screamed while sobbing with tear-soaked eyes.

Lucifer startled. Someone was patting his head.

Pat, Pat.

Lucifer's unfocused gaze wandered, lost in a world beyond his sight. A warm hand gently rested on his head, patting him in a soothing rhythm. Judith, with a tenderness only a mother could possess, wiped away his tears with her thumb. Cupping his face with both hands, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, inhaling deeply before beginning to speak.

"Luc, my child, listen carefully to what I am going to say. Engrave my words in your heart and never forget—"

Her words, a profound solace in the silent storm of his thoughts, carried a weight beyond their utterance. "Don’t make your lack of sight be your weakness; make it your strength. After every storm, the sun will shine again because it can’t rain forever. Stand sturdy in the face of hardship; happiness will find its way. Be strong and never give up."

As the words resonated in the air, they transcended mere counsel, becoming an indelible mantra etched deep within Lucifer's heart. These four lines, spoken in a moment of profound connection, would accompany him through the twists and turns of his journey, a guiding light in the darkness he faced. Until death, those four lines would continue to echo, a timeless refrain in the symphony of his life.