Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It was sometime around noon, I was sitting under the shade of an umbrella, eating a sandwich, sipping a coffee, and looking at Cristo Redentor in the distance. How did I wind up here? The answer is nearly as absurd as it sounds — I swam. By the time I got ashore today, the first rays of daylight had appeared. I hated swimming now, I would forever. On shore I was so cold, it felt like moving inside an ice cube. Luckily some kind-hearted person had left their clothes to dry by the sea. I took the best fit and got rid of my jumpsuit and the I.D bracelet that I took from the doc. After that I stole some money from some generous tourists. And here I am now, drinking the famous bird poop coffee under the shade and staring at Cristo Redentor in the distance.

"Sol." A voice said. I was startled for a moment realizing the voice was directing at me, I turned sharply to the speaker. It was a little girl who looked around 13 years old and was wearing a red and black gothic dress. That was a little unusual, but the downright odd part was that features didn't have a distinguishing match to any nationality on earth. Her hair was silvery white and her eyes were like moons in a dark night.

"Or do you prefer Shen?" she said with a soft female voice that was void of emotions. But more than that, she somehow knew my real name. And my jaw was just hanging there, she was defiantly foreign, but a foreigner that knew my identity right on the spot?

This can't be a coincidence...

"You must have had the wrong person..." I said standing up.

"Sit." She said, there was a strange force in her voice as gravity around me seemed to multiply. Forcing me back into my seat.

"What did you just do to me?" I said in a hushed tone.

"I know you want answers." She said blankly taking the seat across from me.

"Sorry I am not following your logic, what do you want with me?"

"It's not what I want from you, it's what you want."

"I am still not getting the point."

"You are searching for desire."

That got me, I stopped wrestling against the mysterious force holding me down and it stopped wrestling too.

"Who are you? And more importantly how did you come and know me" I asked.

"You can call me Iu, and I am a demon." She said.

Well, looks like someone needs to keep their hands off the pipe...

"Ok..." I did a mental face palm so hard, I think it went right through my brain. "Then why are you here?"

"To help you find your desire." She paused. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes, I do. In fact I have a lot."

"Speak."

"How can you prove yourself that you are a demon?"

"Can you prove yourself a sane person?"

"No, not really. Which raises a question inside me, where do people go when they die?"

"Ask death."

"...Well, I always wondered...Does God exist?"

"I have no honest answer."

"Interesting answer. But I will accept it."

"Humans." She said in a derogatory way.

"Agreed. And one more question, how do you become a demon?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Maybe I longer want to be human anymore."

She remained silent for a moment. And after what felt like the longest 10 seconds in my life, I spoke out again:

"Fine, but please tell me what tell what it feels like to be a demon."

She paused for a moment before she spoke again:

"How would you want me to answer this?"

"Honestly." I said.

Thus began another round of staring contest, and in the end of unyielding determination and undying curiosity won me the day.

"Being your true self." She said, and looked down.

"The Id huh, interesting."

"The, Id. That what humans call it."

"What do you mean?"

"The Id is the shadow of the soul."

"So the soul is like a mirror."

"That's one way to interoperate it. But not matter how much goodness a person has; there will always be a dark shade to it. "

"I know, because no one is perfect, we all sinned. Just some more the others...Which brings me to another thought, what is the light shining upon the soul? Morality?"

"I never said the light was shining upon the soul, the light comes from the soul its self."

"So the soul is like a light bulb and it cast of different glows, and I assume you can see those glows?"

"You are the first one ever to ask me that question. Yes, but you possess something... different." Iu eyes grew a shade darker when she finished her sentence.

"Don't tell me my soul has cancer and my Id is crying about it."

"No. Something else, something much greater."

"Not worse?"

"I am not entirely sure yet. That why I am going to accompany you to find your desire."

"So it's my desire then."

"That is just the cover. There is something much greater beneath."

"I like where this is going already. Just a thought, if you really are a demon then who sent you?"

"...is that necessary to know?" She flashed her eyes threateningly at me. And me being the smart ass, was smart enough not to question further.

"I bet it's boring anyways." I said, escaping the topic and the glare. "I am starting to like you already."

"I am here solely for purpose to assist you in finding your desire."

"Last question. Do demons have a gender? Because from all the stuff I been told about demons earlier, I heard they can come in any shape and size."

"..." That silence was kind of expected.

"Well would you at least let me move?" I said and immediately felt the mysterious force being lifted off from me.

"So where do we look first?" I continued to ask.

"I can provide the directions, but you who make the decision."

"Well, tell me my options."

"By heading north you will find destiny, by heading south you would avoid fate."

"What about staying where I am?"

"...then your future is sealed."

"Why?"

"Because it seems that you have friends looking for you."

"What are you are talking about, I don't have any friends...wait you mean the authorities?"

"..."

"Why didn't you say so earlier!?"I shouted, leaping to my feet. "Because I am not really looking forward to the reunion." I added.

"So what is your decision going to be?"

"The fastest way out of here."

"South it is. A safe choice."