My mom sniffed as she held my arms and looked at me with her tear filled eyes. "You died when you were just 7 months old, in my womb."

My whole body froze as a gasp left from the back of my throat.

What did my mother mean by this? I died? Then why am I here standing in one piece?

"Wha-" my words caught in my breath as my heartbeat hastened.

"Shush, Emma." My dad shushed my mom, seemingly he was afraid to let me hear anything regarding that. But mom's tears dripped from her eyes and made my heart break. What could have happened?

"What did you mean by that?" I asked as my heart thumped but my feet won't move as if they got stuck on the sand beneath me. My surroundings blurred and as if they were all slowly becoming hazy as my mind tried to register the words.

"It is nothing!" My dad was now dragging her away while my mom sniffed as she wiped her tears with her handkerchief. She looked so weak and broken. I had never seen her this weak. She would always stand her head held high and didn't let anything break her. But what happened to that woman?

If I died then who was I?

My heart clenched as a sudden pain devoured my body. I saw my parents going to the parking lot as I scolded my feet to move.

They finally moved as I followed them. When we came to the parking lot I went to the car but didn't let my dad open the door.

"Carson! Get away from the door." He hissed and I flinched at his words because I had never seen him like that. He had always been so jolly and playful yet his anger filled eyes made me step back.

"Please, tell me what she meant by that?" I pleaded, not letting go of the door.

My dad growled, "There are some things you better should not know!"

"Why not? It is my life and I have all the rights to know it." I held my dad's hands as now my eyes filled with tears, "Dad, please... At least tell me... Don't make me sit in the darkness."

My dad contemplated if he should say it or not as his mouth opened and closed. He looked at me with pleading eyes not to make him say it but I was determined to hear it otherwise.

"Dad, please? Can't you be a little honest with me this time?" I asked as my eyes said that I felt hurt how they were treating me now.

He looked me in the eyes for a moment and gave in as he sighed. His eyes looked down as his aging shoulders slumped down and he rubbed his eyes as he breathed out, "Okay."

"You..." He looked at me as the wrinkles around his eyes shifted when tear bids fell on them. "You died in Emma's womb and you were our first child." Dad shuddered at the thought as his old body found balance on the car. He leaned as my mother still sniffed.

He stroked on my mom's shoulder seemingly telling her that it was time that we should let me know.

"I couldn't afford to lose you. I was broke." My mother said between her sniffles. "Then we decided to go pray to God to give you back and we could do anything for that. We begged that day and cried."

My mom shook as she recalled those memories and her body leaned against mine as her hands embraced me, "How could we let our daughter die?"

I didn't move but I placed my hands on her arms giving her comfort. She needed it.

"The church's father said there was a ritual and it might give you back to us but it wasn't for god."

I listened to her as I couldn't believe it. I died?

"That night we worshiped Satan for the first time." My dad said and the ground beneath my feet perished. My face paled and my tears stopped.

Shock was an understatement, I was beyond that.

"The father said after you are born if we find anything unusual with you or around us, we have to contact him because maybe, maybe a demon would take your body." My father clutched his hands on my mom's shoulders.

"But there was none. Nothing unusual happened. You were born like a little angel." My mom said smiling yet her eyes filled with puffiness. "Our angel. You were so beautiful and so little. So lively."

More tears poured out from her eyes as she reminisced her memories.

"We decided not to let you go anywhere far from us unless we see something," my father said, "but over the years nothing happened. We knew that night we sinned by worshiping Satan but he gifted us you, without anything in return."

My dad's eyes still hung low. "We were scared that he would come back to get you."

My breath hitched.

The bar appeared in the middle of the night, meeting Callahan, getting a contract and Callahan marking me, now all linked. Satan may have given me back but he came back to get me. He sent Callahan. A shiver ran down my spine.

It was always, always a plan the moment he granted my life back. He had already written my fate and I realized why my mom and dad didn't want me to go far from them. Why they were so strict. They were trying to protect me but they didn't know I was already a pawn of a devil's play.

Did Callahan know? He had always avoided the subject. Maybe he knew. Then why didn't he tell me?

"How could we let our little daughter go away from our eyes but when Fred said he would take care of you. We thought maybe we didn't have to worry about it anymore. But then Fred cheated on you and we decided to take you back but Callahan appeared." My mom said looking at my eyes, "He is a good lad, Carson. We were glad that you found him but there was something about him that always scared me."

I didn't say anything. I could see that my mom and dad could feel something odd with him. Maybe that was because of the fact that they had worshiped Satan for once.

"But we never saw him doing anything bad to you. The way he looked at you, the way he treated you and the way you both went around like magnets," my mom said looking up at me, "I knew maybe we don't have to worry about you anymore."

"Then why were you against living with him?" I asked.

"Because we were scared that if something happens and he will find out that we worshiped someone we should not. He might call the other high priests. What if they try to do some rituals that would take you away?" My mom's hands shook as I tightened my grip on them. I knew they were afraid of the things they didn't know.

And I thought if I should tell her that Callahan was a devil, but decided against it because they were already scared that the devil would take me away. I couldn't tell them that I had a contract that my soul would be taken once it was done.

Callahan would be pleased to hear that my parents once worshiped them.

I looked at my parents who were still feeling guilty.

"I knew we were selfish. But when you see your child's death, you would do anything, you go to any extent to take her back and that was the only way we saw." My dad said, "I am so sorry, Carson. I know you shouldn't have to hear it. It must be hard-"

My dad and mom were cut off when I hugged them tightly as tears rumbled down from my eyes. I knew that no parents could see their children's death and that was why my mom and dad did what they seemed fair at that time. I had no resentment toward them. All I had love and my respect for them grew more.

"You can be angry with us all you want." My mom said still thinking that what they did was bad. I smiled as I cried and said, "I am not angry."

I pulled away as I found their eyes. They were shocked to hear me but they needed to know my feelings. For all these years, they had been burying that burden and they had been keeping it a secret which was hard on them and I wanted to lift that burden from them so they can rest in peaceful minds. They didn't have to carry it. They didn't do anything wrong. If I were in their place I would have done it as well.

I wasn't a mother but I knew what parents could do. Their love was so pure and so selfish for their children that they would do anything to protect their children.

I smiled as my heart flattered and a fresh wind of warmth spread over my body as I said, "I could never be angry with you."

Hearing me, their tensions lifted as their faces portrayed serene expressions. They were shocked but the guilt they had been feeling perished.

I said, "You gave me a second chance and you took care of me. You protected me for all these years. How could I get angry with such adorable parents?"

I couldn't contain my smile as I sniffed. There was a mixed feeling of relief and happiness yet my eyes wouldn't stop flowing. "I am so blessed to have you as my mom and dad. Thank you for all you have done for me."

My mom and dad relaxed as they sighed in relief. They came close and hugged me tightly as we cried. We were a family and I knew that all these powers and confidence I got because I had a wonderful family behind me and I had Callahan who stayed beside me always.

I knew at that time what I wanted. I wanted to confess my feelings before he took my soul. And I wasn't afraid if he had taken my soul. I knew I had always belonged there with him.

We stayed hugging like that for a moment as my mom asked, "Where is Callahan, by the way?"

My dad said, "Yes, I didn't see him coming."

I pulled away and looked for an excuse. "Um... He said he would come. He just had some work." I lied because I had no idea what he was doing. He had been avoiding me and I didn't know why.

My mom and dad nodded and said, "We are feeling a little tired now."

"Are you going back home?"

"Yes. I will probably watch a football match." My dad said and I shook my head as I chuckled. Dad wasn't going to change.

"Then we are going. Be sure to come back before 12." Mom said and I nodded.

They left as I stayed there in the parking lot looking at their car as it vanished with other cars on the road. I took a deep breath and looked at a distance and thought over the things that happened.

So that was why I could understand the ancient language? I wanted to tell these to Callahan but I didn't know where he was.

"Missing your lover, little human?" A voice came as I turned around.

A devil with his red skin and large horns stood there with his eyes glinting darkly looking at me. His skin wasn't like Callahan. It was red but it seemed like it turned more dark as a mist of menace sipped out of him.

I stepped back instinctively as my heart thundered.

"W-who are you?" I asked as my breath caught my voice. He didn't give any good vibes but only resentment and anger. The hair on my skin turned straight as he smiled. It was nothing like the evil grin Callahan would give. It was far more sinister and terrifying as I gulped.

"Hello, Carson. I am Almorach."