'In the beginning, there was nothing. The Great Creator called forth the world, which was the earth. He created light, which was the sun, and the moon to bring light to the night.

The Great Creator then brought into being three sons: a being of light, a being of darkness, and a neutral between them, Earth. He tasked them with erecting their own kingdoms.

Light made his kingdom in the sky, called the land Heaven, and designed the angels.

Dark made his kingdom under the earth, called his domain the Underworld, and forged demons.

Earth brought forth plants, making the land green and beautiful, named it after himself, and crafted humans.

Earth became the foreground between light and dark, and this brought the beginning of time.'

Blah, blah, blah.

With a sigh, I closed the book and put it back on the shelf. The origins of the universe were a letdown. Just another version of an all-powerful god creating the earth. I wanted action and adventure. And what about the creator's children? I've never seen any sign of them.

It was odd that the 'Big Three' appeared so prominently in the records, but now there was barely a trace of them. As if they were never more than a myth.

As a demon from the underworld, I knew its history well, even though I rarely stayed there. My mission was to find 'something', even if I had no clue what that something was. That started with searching for any book detailing the world's creation, but so far, no luck.

Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning against and walked to the display of bread in front of me. How utterly convenient of this bookstore to have a bakery! Just what I needed.

Glancing over at them, I picked up a piece of bread shaped like a cat and bit into it. It had a light cream filling—perfectly fluffy and not too sweet—my favorite. But before I could enjoy any more of my treat, a large hand grabbed my collar from behind, almost choking me.

"You again?!" It was the shop owner. Ugh, doesn't he ever take a day off?

For the past couple weeks, I've been frequenting this bakery and stealing bread. The pastries here were quite delicious, and I enjoyed eating them. I also thoroughly enjoyed pestering the owner.

"Awh, you didn't miss me?" I pursed my lips in a pout, obviously provoking him. What can I say? I was a demon by nature.

"No! I'll be calling the police now that I've finally caught you, kid."

I had the power to shapeshift, as many demons did. My 'child' form was an illusion, a trick to deceive others. It allowed me to move freely without arousing suspicion, though it occasionally led to trouble.

He clutched my shirt tightly, pulling me towards the back of the shop. I ate the remaining bread, seeing little reason to waste it given the situation. That felt like a crime in itself.

My teasing was interrupted by an overwhelming presence; the shopkeeper's movements abruptly stopped. Looking up, I found a hand grasping the larger man's wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Excuse me, but where are you going with this child?"

I saw a tall blonde man with piercing golden eyes looking at the man with a stern expression above me. Oh? This was getting entertaining.

"He's a thief! A crimina—!!"

"He's a child!"

The stranger cut him off, his hand still gripping the owner's wrist. He looked concerned and like he had a lot to say.

"Sir, let this child go. Regardless of what he took, this is no way to handle a kid! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

The shop owner's grip loosened, as if the stranger's words had struck a nerve. When the stranger released him, he did the same. I wasn't about to let this stranger's efforts go to waste.

I put my head in my hands, making my shoulders shake. That shocked the large man, the blonde who decided to help me, and got the outsider's attention at the commotion going on in the bakery.

"I just... I was just hungry..."

When I lifted my head, there were tears in my eyes, and the blonde kneeled down next to me with concern.

"It's just me and my brother, and he works so hard to pay bills, and I didn't want to worry him..." Wow, I was a good actor.

"You should be ashamed! How could you treat him like this?"

"I... He..." He was left speechless, his actions indefensible.

Overwhelmed with shame and the weight of public scrutiny, he could only bow his head and offer an apology. Despite the gravity of his mistake, his instincts as a businessman still prevailed.

"Here, I'll pay for what he took. Consider your actions in the future."

He dropped change on the counter, giving the shopkeeper a disgusted look. The blonde hero took my hand, leading me away. I couldn't help but turn back for one last dig, sticking out my tongue at the shopkeeper.

Watching his infuriated expression amused me. I would probably be banned from that place, but whatever. I got what I needed, and it was time to go anyway. The scattered hues of pink and orange in the evening sky were slowly giving way to night.

The 'brave adult' who'd saved me now caught my attention, eyeing me as if in inspection.

 Humans were amusing and resilient despite being weak compared to other creatures. Unlike other demons, I couldn't bring myself to harm them. Still, who taught them such compassion?

"Are you alright? He was being pretty rough."

I wore a fake smile, smirking inwardly. Human hearts are so easily swayed. This one didn't seem different.

"I'll be okay. I should get back home; I don't want to make my brother worry."

I had gotten out of the situation successfully so there was no use in dragging it further than it needed.

"Right. I should walk you home; it's not safe for a child like you to be alone here. Oh, I'm Reiki, but Rei is fine if you prefer."

I shook my head and was set about getting away. There was something strange and unsettling about him that I couldn't quite place, and I had no interest in finding out.

"Uh, right. I'm Eve. You don't have to walk me home; it'll just make my brother suspicious, and I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

Another lie, of course. There was no brother; I just needed an escape.

Just then, the phone in my pocket began to ring. What convenient timing!

"Oh, that must be my brother. I gotta go!"

I waved my phone and took off, not giving Reiki a chance to even decline or push the offer further.

Once I'd put enough distance between us, I slowed my pace and let out a sigh. My gaze fell upon the screen, the single letter 'L' staring back.

A wave of nausea washed over me. I waited until the last ring, then finally pressed the phone against my ear to answer.

"How is my favorite demon?"

BeforeI could get a word in, a voice spoke. I cringed. Surely he wasn't in a good mood.

"What do you want?" I spoke with much irritation, but that didn't deter the voice on the other end.

"Oh? You're not falling for my sweetness?"

I responded to his statement with silence and an eye-roll, my usual reaction to him. Engaging in conversation with him was low on my list of desires, yet his subsequent words sparked dread within me.

"It's been a while since I've seen you. It's time we discussed some things."