Yosafire's POV

Staring blankly up at the fabricated ceiling I looked to my side and watched a sleeping child. This halfling devil can change their age. Very strange yet unique. Licorice held onto me, for dear life, as he slept. The haze around the room grew brighter when I heard the door open. Looking to the door I could spot the silhouette of the flame devil. "So he actually let you out for now," Ivlis sighed as he made his way into the room, "and judging by the bags under your eyes, you've yet to sleep or rest. There's nothing to fear, I will not harm you, the threats earlier were empty ones and don't mean anything." He just stood there looking down at me.

"Do you want to hear a story, little Phoenix," Ivlis asked as he grabbed a chair from the side and pulled it closer, "it's a sad but eventful story." I just simply nodded my head. My throat too dry to speak. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he folded his hands in his lap. "It all started with a flame, a flame which glowed with brightness and power. Young and guidable to the world of the sun. Blinded from learning the truth of the world's god. Believing everything that came out of the sun gods mouth. Growing the flame began to think and became curious. When confronted the god, the god turned cold and cruel. Proving the flames suspicions further into facts. The god stripped the flame of its beautiful glow and cast it down from the haven." Ivlis paused as he looked so broken standing there.

"That flame was me, I wanted to know more," Ivlis gave a glance up at me, "I found the answers I was looking for, Siralos, the sun god almost killed the devil that was meant for this world so the devil fleed to another to hide. I found out what world the devil hid too and it brought me to the Gray World. At first, I thought it as ironic but then it occurred to me that the devil had a crystal with him when he left. He wanted a place to protect his young one from any harm and chose to go to the gray world. When war broke out everything changed and," I looked at the tears that started to fall from his eyes, "I watched the past several times to see that the devil died in the war. I was too late, the only thing that could truly put the sun god in his place. But then I found out about the devil of the gray world. It was the right power that was required to finally destroy the sun god for good. But then you, you came into the picture and it reminded me of something. Something that I used to be, I only wanted to wake you up from living a lie," Ivlis bent over and hid in his hands.

"I know I took the wrong approach and everything," I saw his body wracked as his voice broke, "I should've just asked and made a pack but I was in desire and denial. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean to cause such grief, such misery, if I had the power I would go back in time and would have done it the right way." I watched as the flame devil broke down in front of me. Was this pity? Pity for the flame devil? Shaking my head I felt the movement of Licorice waking up. "Momma, what's wrong?" Licorice looked over at Ivlis and got off the bed, running over to him. Sitting up I felt the tightening in my chest as the emotion of sadness washed over me. Would have it been different if that were to happen? Ivlis pulled Licorice into an embrace as Licorice just hugged him and tried to smooth everything over. I crawled off the bed and just stood there as Ivlis broke down right in front of me. Maybe he isn't just an airhead like we saw him before as? Can I forgive him though? Forgive him for the pain he caused me? The village? Old man?

"Are you the cause for making mama cry?" I looked down to see the child version of Licorice standing there with his hands on his hips. Should I take the blame? Was I part of his pain? Am I actually a nuisance? These questions are almost like voices really. Like voices of the self-conscious type deal. But more deceitful in a way. I slowly nodded, taking the blame for the sadness of the flame devil. Next thing I knew I was pinned to the bed with an older Licorice pinning me, an angry expression clear as day. "How dare you upset mother," Licorice seethed through clenched teeth, "maybe being locked in your cage for a week will silence such behavior." Roughly he grabbed my wrist and shoved me into the cage and covered it up with the blanket. Numbness is all I felt, I didn't care if I was being punished for something I didn't do. Laying on the blankets and curling up I silently cried myself to sleep. A true nightmare indeed.

~Time Skip~

The sudden clatter against the metal bars awoke me as I looked up and saw the silhouette of someone standing there. "Dinner," the voice was harsh and demanding. Licorice must still be mad at me. Lowering my head I saw the tray of food just sitting neatly on top of the blankets. He soon left me alone once more, I stared carefully at the food before turning my head right back around. If I refuse to eat, will it kill me faster? Am I of no use? Signing in despair I crawled over to the food and pushed it out of the cage. Covering my face with my hands I wept and bite my tongue. The familiar warmth of blood washed over me. Is suicide the only answer? Tasting like iron I kept my tongue in my mouth as I heard the door open once more. Looking up I saw the cold glare of Licorice as he looked at the food, "what's the meaning of this?" He frowned as he bent down and picked up the food I had knocked over previously, "do you not like the food that was prepared for you?" I gave him a blank stare as finished cleaning the food up.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Licorice asked as he opened the cage's door. I just gave a blank stare at him as he reached for my ankle. I didn't struggle nor did I protest as he dragged me out of my little safe corner. "Why is there blood trickling from your mouth?" his voice acted concerned as he grabbed my chin and forced my jaw to open. I watch the horror seep into his eyes as he grabbed a cloth and wrapped it tightly around my tongue. "I need to get mother," he panicked," stay still, while I'm gone." Then just like that, he was gone. I gently tugged at the cloth around my tongue. But to no avail, it wouldn't move. He wrapped it securely around the wound I created. "Mother, I didn't do anything, I just saw the blood when I pulled her out," I could hear his desperate cries. 

"That's a sign that she's suicidal and needs to be under constant watch," I heard the tired voice of Ivlis making its way to the room. The door opened as I looked over at the door at the tall silhouette of Ivlis and the younger version of Licorice holding onto the bottom of the trench coat. Staring blankly at the two in the doorway I tried to move my tongue. The cloth prevented that action. Whimpering I gave a glare as Ivlis bent down and removed the cloth. "She's a lost cause, Licorice," he grabbed my chin and making me look into those cold golden eyes, "it's for the best you dump her back in her world and let her rot there cause nothing good can come out of this child. And I'm not having a worthless grandchild." Ivlis smacked me and stood up. "I want her gone by tonight, do you hear me, son," he seethed through clenched teeth and glared down at me. "Yes, mother," disappointment filled his voice as he changed to his older self.

Licorice came and picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, "don't worry I'll be back to get you once our child is born and then we'll be together forever," he touched the sore mark on my neck, "besides I marked you and no one is able to take you away from me." I felt the weariness of sleep and closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes once more I was laying in the meadow near the castle. I'm back. I'm actually home, no.

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This is this chapter so enjoy and I'll be making the next chapter bye~