What defines a normal childhood? A normal family? A normal person? It's certainly not the way I was raised. Religious trauma. Emotional trauma. Mental trauma. So how did I manage to survive without killing myself, you ask? Simple. I made a deal with darkness.

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- You're going to college to be a nurse. It's always in demand.

- You aren't allowed to leave the house once you enter.

- You better be making straight A's in class.

- Whatever happens within these four walls stays within these four walls.

- Why are you sad? Don't you see how blessed you are?

- Just pray to God. He'll help you with your problems.

Unhelpful words. Impossible demands. Forced path in life. My entire being is simply a byproduct of my parents hopes and wishes. I never wanted this. I wanted to do more with my life.

'Then why not do it?'

"Huh? Who's there?"

'I have seen your sadness. I sympathize with your troubles.'

"Who are you?"

'I am the darkness that you love to sit in. I have been shrouding you in my essence to hide your tears from the world so that no one can see your struggle until you're ready.'

"What do you want from me?"

'I want nothing more than to see you smile earnestly, laugh heartily, and love yourself genuinely.'

"Nothing good comes for free. I'm not stupid."

'Make a contract with me. I give you knowledge and power. You become my wife next year once you turn eighteen.'

"Become the wife of darkness when I turn eighteen? What kind of nonsense is that? And what do you mean by knowledge and power?"

'You can't hide anything from darkness because darkness is where people hide things. You have been trying to kill yourself before you turn eighteen because you didn't want your parents to control your life anymore, and the only thing that you can control while under your parents is your death.'

"Tsk… I can believe you a bit more since I am very confident in my ability to hide my struggle from everyone. However, I'm a distrustful person. We have to get this contract into writing if you want to proceed any further. Plus, I have to see what you look like. It is only fair that I know what you look like since I have to marry you after this."

'I have been told that I am a frightening person to look at. Are you sure you can handle seeing my appearance?'

"I live in a house full of frightening parents. Your appearance won't be a deterrent to this agreement since I will get more out of this than you."

A deep laugh bounces off of my walls throughout my dark room. As if absorbing the darkness itself, a cloudy appearance stands before my bed until it clears into a tall man of tan complexion. His white hair greatly contradicts the black room behind him. A rather large but slender hand stretches out in front of me.

"You should sit up so that you can have a better look at me."

I take the outstretched hand and begin to sit up on my bed when his face quickly becomes clearer as I get closer. A strikingly handsome face that looks as if it was sculpted with a beautiful balance of soft and sharp features. His golden yellow eyes shine brightly like the moon on a cloudless night sky. Everything about his appearance screams godly.

"I hope you know that your stare is piercing through me. Is there something about my appearance that you don't like?" the man asks with a genuine look of concern.

Snapping out of my trance, I close my mouth and clear my throat. "Ah, no, not at all. When you said that you had a frightening appearance, I was expecting gore and disfigured features. You are actually extremely appealing to the eyes, or, at least, my eyes."

"Your compliment makes me very happy." The man snaps his fingers, and a piece of paper manifests next to him. "This contract has both of our conditions written on it. I give you knowledge and power. You will become my wife when you turn eighteen next year. Is there anything you would like to add to it?"

"Other than knowledge and power, you will also give me your time. You will come when I call for you."

The man tilts his head to my statement with a look of confusion. "Isn't that already a given though since you are my bride? Just because we won't be officially married doesn't mean that I will slack off in my duties as your fiancé. I will always be with you everywhere you go, so call me anytime you need me."

I admit that I was expecting him to disappear into the darkness after this and not show up. His words are oddly comforting, though. Knowing that there is someone who I can talk to whenever I want is… reassuring….

"Even in the dark, your blushing cheeks can't escape my gaze," the man comments with a small laugh.

Glaring at the man, a thought comes to mind. "Before I sign the contract, tell me your name."

"Zaku. My name is Zaku," he replies with a sweet smile on his face. "I am the Prince of Darkness."

"You already know me, but I'll introduce myself as well. I'm Lillian Frose. Pleased to meet you."

The tan man scoffs at my response. "No one has ever said that they were pleased to meet me before." He grabs the paper then bites his thumb to create a blood seal print on the contract. "Will you need help drawing blood?"

I snatch the paper from Zaku and smirk. "You have been watching me, right? You should know that I'm an expert at drawing blood." I slice my thumb with a razor I keep wrapped under my bed then stamp my bleeding thumb onto the piece of paper when it suddenly catches fire. Once the fire dies down a silver ring drops into my hand. "What's this?" I ask as I hold it up to the faint light.

Kneeling down, Zaku takes the ring from me and grabs my left hand. "This is a symbol of our contract. From this point on, you and I are engaged to each other. I will come when you call and protect you from the shadows. I will ensure that you never cry alone again and bring only happiness into your life."

He slides the ring onto my finger which then reveals another ring for him. He catches the ring and then hands it to me. "It's your turn," he says with a stupid smile.

"You act like this is your first time," I chuckle as I take the ring from him. "Aren't you essentially an immortal being, the prince of darkness and all? You probably have gotten married several times."

Zaku lowers his head as he scratches the back of his neck. "Actually, I haven't done this before, but I have seen many many people propose to each other at night in parks or in their homes, so I have an idea of how to do it."

My jaw drops. Dumbfounded, I jump up from my bed. "Are you telling me that I am the first person you have ever proposed to?! A senior in high school is your first choice?!"

"Look here! I'm just as surprised as you, okay?! I don't know why, but I felt a strange pull from you. It's the first time this has happened, so I thought I should get closer to you!"

A man who might be hundreds of thousands of years old kneels before me with a reddened face. His helpless expression as he also tries to understand his own feelings makes me smile a bit.

"Pfft! Okay, okay, we probably shouldn't be yelling so late in the night," I conclude as I sit back down on the bed. Zaku rests his head on my lap, so I couldn't help but pet him. "You're pretty childish for an immortal prince of darkness."

"I don't get to talk to many people, so I can only grow as much as my interactions allow me."

Tapping Zaku's left arm, I softly demand, "Give me your hand. I can't put the ring on if I can't reach it." Zaku lifts his head from my lap and gives me his left hand. "This ring is a symbol of our contract. From now on, I will be your friend that you can talk to, your fiancée that you can love, and your lifelong partner that you can depend on. I will give my all to ensure that you never cry because of me, that you never feel alone, and that you can always be happy."

I slide the ring onto Zaku's finger, and they both give off a brilliant light before disappearing. "Where did the rings go?" I immediately ask.

"It's not normal to see an engagement ring on a seventeen year old, right? I made it to where the rings won't show up when there are others around." Zaku stands up and opens his arms for a hug. "You're too young for a kiss on the lips, so we'll compromise with a hug to celebrate our union."

Shaking my head, I laugh to myself while hopping off of the bed and into the man's embrace. "But I'm almost an adult. Would I get a kiss if I said that I'm more mature for my age?"

"Mmmm… How about this?" Zaku releases me from his grasp, takes my hand, and kneels down. As if I was fragile, he gently kisses the top of my hand. "A prince should kiss the princess's hand if he wishes to show his admiration. Will this be okay for now?"

I nod my head as I cover my face from embarrassment. "This… is okay."

On the night of August 15 of 2016, a 17 year old high school senior and an immortal prince of darkness signed a marriage contract that will bind them together forever. However, I would have never guessed that the effects of the contract would be enacted immediately.