Chapter 2- When purple meets green.

“Thena, my little free spirit, slow down before you fly away,” Iris called out to her daughter, who was dashing ahead of them. The young girl seemed to be one with the wind, completely carefree in her movements.

“It’s all right, Iris. She knows every inch of this place like the back of her hand,” Damien reassured his wife, watching their daughter with a smile.

“I know, but what if she falls or gets hurt?” Iris fretted her maternal instincts in overdrive.

“We can’t protect her from everything, my love,” Damien said, his voice soft but firm. “Life is unpredictable, and we can’t control everything. We can only teach her to be strong and resilient in the face of adversity.” Iris nodded, her eyes locked on their daughter, who had stopped to examine a butterfly.

Damien put his arm around her, “I promise to always be there for her, to protect her and guide her through life’s hardships,” he said, planting a tender kiss on her lips. Iris leaned into him, taking comfort in his embrace. As long as they had each other, they knew they could face anything that life threw their way.

The Larks were well-known in the town, and Athena had grown up familiar with the area. Iris trusted her daughter to wander a little, but only on the condition of Damien's promises to keep an eye on her. And so, the little girl roamed around, her infectious happiness shining through. Athena was a reflection of her mother, a people lover who saw the good in everyone. She had yet to experience the harsher side of humanity. It wasn’t just her, the little girl wrapped people in her little fingers, and her aura was the kindest and gentlest.

As she made her way back to her mother, Athena's eyes caught a glimpse of a boy sitting on a bench, watching people with a scowl on his face. Though she had never seen him before, she found herself drawn to him, curious about the emotions etched on his face. He was tall for his age and appeared to be older than her, with dark silky hair that fell over his forehead. Despite his handsome appearance, his eyes held a certain anger and emptiness that made Athena frown.

Athena had never seen such an unpleasant expression on someone's face. He was tall and looked older than her, with dark silky hair that fell over his forehead. But it was his eyes that intrigued her the most. They were a piercing green, filled with anger and emptiness that the young girl couldn't quite comprehend. His eyes made Athena furrow her brows, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

But the little girl was not one to shy away from others, especially those who appeared to be in need of kindness. With a heart full of compassion, Athena walked over to the boy and chirped, "Hi," with a wide smile on her face. The boy turned around, his eyes meeting hers, and Athena was taken aback by how beautiful he was. He looked like a prince from the storybooks that her mother used to read to her, and she couldn't help but stare at him in awe.

As he turned around, his eyes fell on a little girl with long, silky hair that shimmered in the sunlight. The beads woven into her hair caught his attention, and he was mesmerized by the way they glinted like stars in the night sky. Her big, bright eyes were filled with innocence and curiosity, and her smile was as warm as the sun on a summer's day. Despite her young age, there was something enchanting about her, something that drew him in and made him forget all his troubles.

Her long hair and the beads in it resembled the stars in the night sky he would count when he wanted to avoid people, but he couldn't mask the surprise on his face. This was not what he expected, but he quickly regained his composure and masked his surprise with anger, "Go away," he barked at her, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Athena was taken aback by his rudeness; nobody had ever spoken to her like that before. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then something within her sparked. She was determined to make this boy smile, to see the light in his eyes that was missing. So, she sat down next to him, undeterred by his hostility.

"Why are you making a mean face?" she asked, her voice soft and innocent, "You look like Umbridge," she added, hoping to lighten the mood.

Azazel was caught off guard by her comment. He couldn't help but chuckle at her comparison, his anger dissipating for a brief moment. He was surprised by her boldness and her fearlessness in the face of his anger. For the first time in a long time, he felt a spark of life within him, ignited by this little girl's determination to break through his defenses.

“I am Athena Raven,” she introduced herself, smiling and forwarding her hand to shake with him. The boy smiled for the first time since she met him, “I am Azazel,” he delivered his hand, taking hers into his, surprising himself. He spoke. He spoke for the first time in 6 years. Why? he didn’t know, but this little girl brought his long-lost voice to the surface. He didn’t do well with people, his words always got stuck in his throat when he had to make a conversation, but with this new girl, it felt natural to talk. In fact, he thought that not talking would make him go crazy. For the first time in his life, he thought he could handle the world around him without fear, all because of her.

He didn’t realize that he was staring into the void until Athena touched his cheek. He got lost looking into her purple eyes; they were the most beautiful eyes in the entire universe—the eyes that lit his life and brought them out of the darkness, his luminaire. Those eyes looked full of life, unafraid and fresh as daisy. While he was still thinking about why this little girl would talk to him, little Thena jumped, looking at the ice cream truck. She lost her balance, fell on the stone-filled ground, and started crying.

Azazel immediately jumped down, lifting her like a feather. He inspected for any injuries on her feet or knees. Other than minor scratches, the girl had no injuries. But little Athena wouldn’t stop crying, so Azazel lifted her foot and kissed her scratch, hoping she would stop crying because he didn’t like her tears; they were making him sad. The little girl remembered how her mommy used to kiss her to make scratches hurt less; that’s when it struck her that her parents were missing, and she started crying even louder.

“What happened, cupcake?” Azazel wiped away her tears with his thumb. “Mom and dad are missing,” she sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. Azazel's heart clenched at the thought of losing her, of never seeing those bright purple eyes again. He needed to keep her with him, to protect her from the world outside.

“Do you want ice cream?” he pointed at the ice cream truck, trying to distract her. He didn't want her to leave him, and he certainly didn't want to go back to his own parents. The idea of being responsible for someone, of having someone depend on him, filled a void in his heart that he didn't even know was there.

Athena nodded, her tears forgotten for the moment. Azazel led her to the truck, his hand firmly clasped around hers. He didn't want to let go, not now, not ever. The ice cream truck was the highlight of the day for Athena, but being carried on Azazel’s back was the cherry on top. She felt like a princess, and he was her knight in shining armor. Azazel had never felt this way before. It was as if all the darkness inside him had been lifted, and he felt like he could breathe again.

He realized that he had never tasted ice cream before, but watching Athena enjoy it made him happy. He didn't want to ruin the moment, so he just watched her eat, but he couldn't resist asking. “What does it taste like?”

“It’s sweet and cold, and it melts in your mouth,” she said with a smile, taking another bite. “Can I try?” he asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

“Sure,” she said, holding out a spoonful for him. He tried it, and to his surprise, he loved it. It was as if he had never tasted anything so good before. Athena giggled as she watched him savor the ice cream, and he couldn't help but smile back at her. He realized that he wanted to make her smile forever.

Athena and Azazel were lost in their little world, enjoying their ice cream in an abandoned corner of the park. Athena was delightfully licking her double-scoop cone, trying to taste every possible flavor, while Azazel watched her with a mixture of fascination and protectiveness. They were so engrossed in their own little bubble that they didn't notice the man approaching them until it was too late.

The man was a tall, burly figure with a menacing scowl on his face. He snatched Athena's ice cream out of her hand, causing her to fall onto the hard concrete, scraping her knees, and cutting her skin. Azazel was immediately on his feet, rage filling his veins as he stood between the man and Athena.

"What are you looking at, idiot?" the man sneered, shoving Azazel hard on his head. Azazel clenched his teeth, but he didn't move from his position. He didn't want to leave Athena unprotected.

"Leave her alone," Azazel growled, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Apologize to her,” he spoke silently, looking down. He didn’t know her being in danger could make him talk without issues.

“Huh?” another bully joined him, “What Cha gonna do punk?” he hit him, pushing him onto the ground.

“Apologize,” Azazel asked again. “I won’t,” the bully picked Athena up.

“They paid us to bring this little girl to them, and we are gonna take her,” the bully said with a wide grin. This was enough to bring the rage inside him out. He didn’t care who they were or what they could do. All he knew was that they were taking his light away from him.

He lifted his leg, punching the guy in the face. The punch made the guy clutch his nose, feeling it bleeding, letting Athena loose. Azazel pulled Athena to his side, “Turn around and close your eyes and ears, Raven. Sing your favorite song in your head” he held her by her shoulders, turning her to the opposite side.

She did as asked and hummed her favorite tune her mother would sing to her. She sat on the wall dangling her feet, unaware of the carnage behind her. Azazel walked back to the bullies. The other man was taken back by Azazel’s strength but composed, he lunged to hit the little boy, but being the pro he is, he ducked and punched him in the stomach sending him to the ground. He jumped onto the other bully, tackling him to the ground effectively. He delivered continuous punches to his face, hitting them repeatedly, not giving them a chance to escape.

Their 30-year-old selves were no match for Azazel’s speed and tactics. He might not have had the strength, but he had tactics and the brain. His relentless punches made their noses and ears bleed like a pipe leak. He jumped onto one of them, hitting him in his balls so strong the man tried to shriek and yell, but Azazel grabbed his knife, cutting his tongue off; while the other man tried to escape, Azazel chased him and cut his fingers off for touching his Athena. He then plunged his knife clean into their chests like he knew how to stop a heart. He didn’t stop at that; he twisted the knife in their chests, feeling their heart muscles in his hand. His face contorted into a smirk; this was the most satisfactory he had felt in ages. Nobody touches his Raven and lives. He dragged their bodies, dumping them in a dumpster nearby.

He wiped the blood off his hands and walked over to Athena, who was huddled on the ground, her fingers still pressed tightly to her ears. He gently pried her fingers open and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay, cupcake?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle. She tried to look at what happened to the two men, but he quickly picked her up and held her close to his chest, shielding her from the sight.

"Don't look, Raven," he whispered, stroking her hair soothingly. "It's not safe. You're safe with me." Despite his words, she took his fingers off her eyes and tried to peek from his shoulder, but Azazel gently turned her face away from the incident. "When I tell you not to look, you don't look, okay?" he reminded her, his voice firm but kind. She nodded, her eyes still wide with fear and confusion.

“I wanna go play hide and seek,” she exclaimed, darting towards the woods behind them and disappearing from view. Azazel couldn't help but grin; he loved playing with her too. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he began to search for her, calling out her name in a sing-song voice.

“I will find you,” he sang, enjoying the game of cat and mouse. Athena giggled quietly to herself, thinking she had found the perfect hiding spot. But as she waited in anticipation, everything fell silent. Suddenly, Azazel jumped out from behind a tree, shouting, "Gotcha!" and making Athena scream in surprise.

“How did you………” she began to laugh, coming out of her hiding spot. Her dress was a little dirty from all the running, but she didn't care. Azazel took her hand, leading her back towards the others.

“Remember something, Raven,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. “I will always find you, wherever you hide, because you are my little toy, and you belong to me.”

Athena furrowed her brow in confusion. “Your toy?”

Azazel smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up in a way that he didn't quite understand. “Yes, my toy,” he replied, feeling a sense of protectiveness and attachment towards her that he had never felt before. It was a strange feeling, but one that he welcomed with open arms.

“You are my voice,” he said, and the little girl kept looking at the surroundings, not paying attention to the man before her. The little girl had no clue whose attention she got; she had no idea that the monsters in her stories do not hold a candle to the beast she is with. On the other hand, this was the first time Azazel had spoken the longest in his life.

Just as he was about to say something, two people started running towards her; seeing them, Athena ran towards them. “Mommy, where were you?” she hugged her mother. “Thena, I was looking everywhere for you. You were gone for so long,” Iris hugged her daughter tighter. “I told you not to leave my side and stay close, didn’t I?” Iris had tears in her eyes.

As Athena's mother approached, Azazel felt a pang of sadness in his chest. He knew that their time together was over, and he would once again be alone in the world. He watched as Athena ran towards her mother, her little arms wrapping tightly around her waist. It was a sight that brought a smile to his face.

Iris was clearly relieved to have her daughter back in her arms, and Azazel could see the fear and worry etched on her face. He wanted to explain that it wasn't her fault, that he had been the one watching over Athena, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Instead, he stood there, watching as mother and daughter reunited.

“Silly mommy, I was not lost; you have gone missing. This nice boy was sad, so I was making him happy,” Athena pointed towards Azazel. “This nice boy brought me back to you” Athena hugged her mother tight.

Iris looked at Azazel, who was looking at the family with 0 emotions in his eyes. “Thank you, Son,” Iris hugged Azazel.

“What is your name?” Damien asked, but Azazel gave no response; he just stood there silently, without a single word. 

“He is Azazel, daddy” Athena jumped onto her father’s side. “Once again, thank you for bringing our daughter back,” Iris hugged Azazel, but the boy remained there. He did not reciprocate the hug.

“Let’s go, Thena” Iris turned around, starting to walk away, but before Athena could leave, she turned to Azazel, gesturing him to bend down; he did as he was asked. Little Thena gave a long kiss on his cheek, surprising Azazel. She pulled back, giving him a toothy smile. She then pulled out the ring that was on her finger.

She gestured for him to take it, “this is for the ice cream Zae,” she smiled.

“Thena,” her mother warned her.

“It’s okay, mommy. Daddy will buy me another, won’t you, daddy?” Athena gave her daddy puppy eyes. Iris knew the dad and daughter could not be helped. They were a team, and both were highly naughty and mischievous.

“How can I deny my little princess?” Damien lifted his daughter up.  She hugged her dad and brother.

“Bye, Zae,” she gave him the brightest smile she could, taking Azazel’s heart captive. He didn’t know that smile would cause so many things to happen.

Azazel stood there watching her with sadness in his eyes. He clutched the ring tight as if his life depended on it. “I will find you, Raven,” he told himself. From that day forward, purple became his favorite color.

Azazel watched as the family walked away, holding the ring tightly in his hand. He couldn't shake the feeling of sadness in his heart as he saw his light disappear from view. From that day forward, he knew he had to find a way to keep her in his life. He didn't know what it was about her, but she had awakened something in him that he didn't know he had. He felt a sense of purpose, a reason to live, to protect her from the world.

As he walked away, he knew he had to find her again. He had to be her guardian angel, her protector, her voice.

Destiny had brought them together, and now fate would decide their future. The game had just begun, and the question was who would come out on top. Would it be Azazel, the boy who had lost his voice but found a reason to speak again? Or would it be Athena, the little girl with the purple eyes, who had captured his heart? Only time would tell, but Azazel would do whatever it took to find his little Raven.

The interaction between a boy destined to become the harbinger of death, wielding the blade of the devil, and the girl who felt the keen sting of life was fated from the very beginning. But whether their meeting was meant to heal him, or to break her, remained to be seen. Her life was driven by forces she could not comprehend, while he had no doubts that he was meant to hear her voice, see her face, and be with her.

He would walk through flames to feel her warmth; one word from her could turn his world upside down. She was his life's goal, and he would stop at nothing to protect her. But the thing about human plans is that while some are willing to sacrifice them for their own well-being, others would burn the world down to reach their desires.

And so, their story began- a tale of fate and destiny, of love and sacrifice, and of the thin line between salvation and perdition.