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Warning: this chapter has depictions of child abuse.
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There was that dark haired boy with intense brown eyes, staring at him again, as if he knew the reason behind the scars, the truth behind the murmured lies, the muttered excuses, and the downcast face. Sometimes Matvei could swear the boy was able to read his mind, so he shut out his own thoughts, focusing on finishing his schoolwork in class.

The boy followed Matvei as though he was a silent guardian angel, keeping a watchful eye on Matvei. Because he was the new kid, Matvei was bullied and picked on by the other kids. The dark haired boy fended off the bullies and kept trying to be friends with Matvei, but Matvei shied away, too scared to make friends, fearing he would be sent to another school if his mother saw him talking with a classmate.

Yet the dark haired boy was persistent. They said hi to each other a few times, but Matvei kept avoiding him, afraid of becoming friends. He didn't want to make friends just to lose them, like he lost Jeremie.

Despite the bullying, Matvei preferred being at school, dreading whenever he had to go home. Furious over Vengimi's abandonment and the fact that Matvei looked so much like his father, Nadima took out her anger on Matvei, intentionally harming him. While it was sexual abuse with Vengimi, it was physical abuse with Matvei.

The dark haired boy suspected something was wrong, noticing the bruises and scars Matvei kept trying to hide, wearing a coat even in the summer heat, but Matvei didn't want to talk to anyone.

Matvei froze when the dark haired boy cornered him. Matvei was wandering around the hallway during lunch, as he often did. The dark haired boy trapped him against the wall, Matvei's back pressed against the lockers.

Fearing the boy's patience had finally worn out and that he was going to start bullying him, Matvei shut his eyes and prepared for the slap or punch, but the dark haired boy gently placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice calm and steady as he said, "Hey, I'm never gonna hurt you. I know you're new here; that's why I keep protecting you from those bullies."

Matvei opened his eyes, meeting the dark haired boy's eyes. They were kind, compassionate eyes. Eyes that promised no harm. Eyes he could trust.

The dark haired boy continued, saying, "I know your name is Matvei Carven. My name is Demian Daggers. We are in the same classes together. I want to be your friend."

Matvei was silent, not saying anything. Friends are like fairies, he thought bitterly. Nonexistent and just a stupid fantasy. Not something real.

Demian reached into his dark green coat pocket and pulled out a peanut butter blackberry spread sandwich. The sandwich was neatly wrapped in a small plastic sandwich bag. There was also a light green Schogetten chocolate bar with hazelnuts. Matvei hadn't had chocolate candy since Vengimi left.

"You can have this," Demian said, handing it to Matvei. "I know you don't eat lunch. At least have my lunch."

"I don't want to," Matvei murmured, not feeling like eating.

To Matvei's surprise, Demian placed his lunch in Matvei's coat pocket and stepped back. "Yours now," Demian said, giving Matvei a smile as he left.

Matvei moved back from the lockers, thinking, Does he truly want to be my friend? Or is he faking it? Matvei waited until the bell rang before he slowly walked back to class, pondering over Demian's kindness.

He didn't eat the sandwich and chocolate until he got off the school bus and walked into the woods, hiding in a forest, before he reached into his coat pocket. The homemade sandwich was wonderful, giving him energy and nourishment. The chocolate reminded Matvei of when his father shared chocolate candy with him. He drank water from a stream and stayed in the forest, waiting until nighttime before he would have to go to bed.

Instead of sleeping at home, Matvei slept in the woods, using his backpack as a pillow. The coat kept him warm, though it didn't keep the bugs away. He spent much time in the forest, bringing books to read so he could escape reality and pass the time in a pleasant way.

Demian followed him one day after school. Matvei was alarmed, but Demian promised not to tell anyone. He silently read books with Matvei, staying with him in the forest. They kept a stack of books underneath a tree, covering it with a tarp to keep off the rain.

Demian started bringing food with him as he went to Matvei's secret place in the forest. He shared peanut butter blackberry spread sandwiches, cheese, kielbasa, candy, sweets, the awesome Lachgummi vitamin gummies, and the occasional slices of German chocolate black forest cake.

Demian also brought a spray bottle containing nothing but water and pure peppermint oil, spraying the peppermint water on himself and Matvei to keep the bugs and bees away. Matvei found the peppermint scent very comforting, reminding him of his father's sage mint scent.

Demian made sure Matvei's secret place had plenty of water and fruit juice, sometimes bringing fresh cold milk in a glass jug. Crows joined them, eagerly enjoying the food leftovers. Demian smiled as he fed the crows in the forest. Matvei saw the crows as his friends in addition to Demian.

Matvei began to trust Demian, though he was afraid, not wanting Nadima to find out about his secret friend. He kept his backpack in the forest, for fear Nadima would take his father's shirt from him. Matvei kept more of his father's clothes in another backpack, secretly taking them out of the drawer shelves while his mother was at work, and keeping them hidden in the backpack.

Eventually Matvei had to return home to retrieve his own clothes. When he tried to do so furtively at night, Nadima went in his room and started yelling, upset with her son for running away from home.

"You're just like your father! Running off and leaving me to pay the bills and care for a useless child who doesn't even sleep in his room like a normal child!" Nadima shouted, looking like a raging thunderstorm.

Matvei tried to escape his mother's wrath, but Nadima overpowered him, dragging him to the kitchen and tying him to a chair so he wouldn't escape.

Matvei gasped when Nadima reached for a large kitchen knife. He struggled to get out of the chair, but Nadima had tied him firmly to where the cords were digging into his skin, hurting him. Trapped and helpless, Matvei pleaded with Nadima, but his cries were ignored.

The cold blade disfigured his handsome youthful face with stripes, the bleeding wounds dripping as Nadima continued to cut over the same wounds, paying no heed to Matvei's screams and cries.

She did this for several days, not letting Matvei leave the chair except to go to the bathroom, only giving him water and bread. Matvei was in so much pain he didn't even hope for a savior to come rescue him; all he wanted was for Nadima to stop.

But she didn't.

Those scars would forever change his life.

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Demian became concerned when Matvei didn't show up to school for an entire week. He went to Matvei's secret place in the forest, but he wasn't there. Fearing something was terribly wrong, Demian ran to Matvei's house, worried for his classmate. He had secretly followed Matvei, so he knew exactly where he lived. He knew he lived alone with his mother and his father was missing.

The door wasn't locked. Had it been locked, Demian would've broken a window to get in.

Demian hurriedly rushed inside the house, searching for Matvei. He found him at Nadima's mercy, but she had no mercy as she sliced his face, running the knife anew over fresh scars that didn't even get a chance to heal.

Matvei was tied to a chair, tears and blood running down his face, as his mother yielded a large kitchen knife. From the look of the scars striping down his face, it was evident that she had repeatedly cut over the same scars, permanently scarring Matvei's face.

Demian was utterly horrified. So this is what's been happening, he realized in shock as Matvei's agonized cries rang through his ears like loud cymbal clashes.

Without hesitation, Demian immediately sprang into action. He overpowered Nadima by flinging his school backpack at her and grabbing the knife from her. He hit her on the head, making sure she was knocked out, before seizing the leftover rope on the table and tying her up, bounding her hand and foot to make sure she wouldn't be able to escape. Demian called emergency while untying Matvei and carefully putting a cold wet cloth to his face, staying and comforting him until help arrived.

Demian went in the ambulance with Matvei, watching as the police took Nadima into custody. He learned that the scars were permanent; Matvei would forever have the stripes on his face where Nadima repeatedly cut him with a kitchen knife.

It took months to heal, but Demian was there for Matvei, bringing him food and water, clothes, books, and anything else. He brought the backpacks from the forest, Matvei's eyes misting with tears as he thanked Demian for bringing them to him. Matvei clung to his father's shirt, comforted by the sage mint scent and the feel of the cotton material.

Nadima was arrested for child abuse. Matvei's aunt Mary took care of him, becoming his legal guardian. Mary Carven was Vengimi's sister, a sweet kind loving aunt who lived alone with a cat named Princess. Mary wasn't far from Demian, who lived with his adoptive father Petyr Issersohn.

Since the day Demian rescued Matvei from his abusive mother, the two boys became inseparable. Matvei began looking up to Demian as a replacement father figure, since Demian was the confident leader, the one who had the answers to everything. Mary didn't have a boyfriend or husband, so Demian was the only positive male figure in Matvei's life, besides Andrey who sometimes checked up on him.

Demian came over almost every day, often spending the night on the living room couch since the guest room became Matvei's bedroom. Mary provided the boys with plenty of warm blankets and good food, including beef stroganoff and shallow fried potato pancakes called Kartoffelpuffer. She also made Schnitzel, a tenderized chicken covered in egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, fried in oil and served with fries. For desserts, she made delicious gingerbread Pfeffernuesse, Matvei's favorite shortbread cookies, and Demian's favorite German chocolate black forest cake.

Matvei was bullied and teased for the permanent scars on his face, but Demian fended off the bullies and continued to protect Matvei. After Demian's interference, Matvei wasn't bullied again, the bullies afraid of Demian, who was always with Matvei. However, one thing remained: the nickname the bullies had given him.

"They keep calling you Stripes behind their back, even after they quit bullying you," Demian told Matvei, not afraid to share bad news with him. Demian was always direct and to the point, not one to sugarcoat or lie to hide a bitter truth.

Matvei finished his apple juice and set the empty carton on the table, brushing some of his caramel brown hair back. "Let them," he said, having received some of Demian's confidence from being around him so much, to where Matvei was able to resume his independence, not needing to rely on Demian for everything, though he remained close with Demian and often spent time with him. "I want to be called Stripes instead of Matvei."

Demian was stunned. "Why?" He figured Matvei would be hurt by the nickname, for it was a horrid reminder of Nadima's abuse.

Matvei smiled. "Because of my stripes, we became close friends. Because of you, my mother will never hurt me again. Because my mother abused me, she is no longer a mother to me. Because of these bullies, I learned how to become a strong person from your protection and guidance. So now, I am Stripes Carven. I would like for you to discontinue calling me Matvei. That was the old me; this is the new me."

Demian refused, but Matvei kept insisting for him to call him Stripes. Even the bullies were stunned when Matvei passed them in the hallway after hearing them whisper his nickname. Matvei turned around and grinned at the former bullies, saying, "That's right, my name is Stripes. I've got these scars, but they made me into who I am now. Thank you for my new name."

The astounded bullies became even more astounded when they learned that furthermore, Matvei asked his teachers to call him Stripes instead of Matvei. It stuck, and even Demian didn't call him Matvei anymore. It was very rare that somebody spoke or even knew his real name.

The son kept searching for his father, but his searches were in vain. Demian searched high and low, even going in nearby cities with a picture of Vengimi, asking random strangers if they had seen him, but Vengimi was nowhere to be found.

The search never stopped, however, for Vengimi's son was determined to find his father, resolving to never stop searching until he eventually found him.

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✨ This is how Schogetten chocolate looks like. It's usually found in the Aldi store. Demian gave Matvei the green one with hazelnut.

✨ German chocolate, green colors, and forests remind me of Demian, one of the main irangel characters from the Black Rose arc.

✨ Ironic how this chapter foreshadows Demian's future telepathic ability to read minds. There's actually alot of irangel foreshadowing.

✨ Irangels are humans who turned into Iredescents. Irangels and Iredescents won't show up until near the end of this story, when Vengimi and Matvei end up on planet Iredescent.