YEAR 2037, ONE YEAR AGO.
Elisia was sitting at the bar, drinking alone. She was at a party in Verlice Castle earlier but decided to leave after seeing all the visitors dancing with their mates.
She wondered why she never met her mate in Acheron and even in Terra. She looked around the bar and saw the same scenery. Couples were cuddling, hugging, and kissing each other while she was there making herself drunk.
"Ugh! This is life. Cheers for being single!" She whispered to herself.
She heard someone chuckling from the seat beside her. She turned to see who it was and was surprised to learn that someone was actually sitting next to her. It was a man; based on his appearance, he was a human.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I overheard what you said. I didn't mean to offend you."
The man seemed sincere in his apology, and Elisia felt relaxed toward him for some reason.
"It's fine. Apology accepted." She said, giving him the sweetest smile.
She had been living in Terra for almost thirty years, and acting like a Terran was her best talent.
"My name is Adrian. I lived a few blocks away from here. Are you here by yourself?"
She nodded and then took a sip from her wine glass before answering the man.
"Yeah. I was at a party earlier but felt left out because they were all couples. Didn't expect to see the same thing here." She laughed.
"Same for me. My friends were all married, and they were forcing me to attend our class reunion with a girl. I don't even have someone I like. Well, my cousins were all girls, but it would be awkward to bring them, right?"
Adrian seemed calm and easy to talk to. He wasn't the most handsome guy Elisia had met. He's an average-looking guy with glasses but nice and sincere.
"Well, that sucks, huh? By the way, my name is Elisia. I lived in Starcross Place near the mall. When is your reunion?" She asked, curiosity piqued.
"Nice name. I like it."
It was just a simple compliment, but Elisia's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time a guy other than her brothers talked to her about life and stuff.
"So when is your reunion?" She asked again.
"On Saturday. But I'm not going. Like you, I will definitely get bored and feel left out."
Elisia didn't respond. She took another sip of wine while thinking if she would offer herself to be his date on Saturday.
She glanced at Adrian, who was talking to the bartender to order another drink. She knew it was just their first meeting and her elder sister, Athanasia, told her not to trust someone easily.
But the guy seemed decent and wasn't wearing any ring, so he might be telling the truth. She's a demon and could defend herself if the guy was planning something bad for her.
She didn't feel the lust toward Adrian, though, so Elisia knew he was not her mate. Werewolves felt the mating pull if they found the one for them, but demons felt the lust towards their partner. It was not just a simple lust to have sex with them; they said you would crave for them and feel like your bestia would go berserk.
Her bestia, or the beasts inside her, was relaxed and calm. She was not acting strange; she was asleep.
Elisia sighed. Maybe she was destined to be single anyway, so it's better to find someone she could lean on. If fate didn't prepare someone for her, then she will find one and make him hers. That's what she thought.
She turned to Adrian and smiled at him again.
"How about I help you? I'll be your date." She said.
Adrian was stunned and didn't know how to react for a moment.
"R-Really? Are you sure?"
Elisia nodded. "Yeah. I don't have plans on Saturday anyway, so I'm free."
"Oh wow! I didn't see that coming. Maybe that was the reason my feet were aching to come in here. It was you who were pulling me." Adrian said in a gentle voice.
She blushed and felt her heart flutter. She was like a teenager getting complimented by her suitor, and she felt happy.
"By the way, you're a Terran, right?" Adrian suddenly asked.
She frowned. She didn't expect that a man would ask her that question.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I have allergies to other creatures, especially demons. My allergy is so bad that I can't breathe if I'm near them like this. Plus, I'm not too fond of demons. They are just hideous monsters for me. But I don't feel anything when I'm with you, so I assume you're a Terran."
Elisia was surprised and hurt. Her heart pounded when Adrian said those words. They were not monsters. They were also creatures who had feelings and wanted to have a place in Terra.
Living with the Terrans and not using her powers for almost thirty years helped her to be a Terran. She was proud of being a demon and would never forget who she was, but she wanted to live in peace and feel normal. She wanted to fall in love, marry, and be a mother, so she promised herself that she would never use her powers again.
"O-Of course, I'm a Terran!"
She didn't know why she lied to him. She had a choice that night. She could have told him the truth and showed him that his opinion towards demons was wrong. But instead, her lies started that night, and as days passed, she continued to lie to him and herself.
She tried to tell him many times about her being a demon princess. But she got scared. She feared that Adrian would never accept her and he would leave her in the end.
They officially became a couple after hanging out for a few weeks. Adrian asked him about her family, but she made another lie telling him she was an orphan. She told him she was an only child and her parents were already dead. He didn't ask her further and was satisfied with her lies.
After being a couple for six months, Adrian asked her hand for marriage.
"Elisia, I love you so much! Will you marry me?" Adrian asked while showing her a diamond ring.
"Yes! I will marry you!"
Elisia was so happy with her life as a Terran. And she didn't expect her happiness and sorrow to happen on the same day.
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Readers' Guide:
Terran - formerly called humans and the original inhabitants of Terra.