Night settled like a hot blanket over the city. The streets were unusually quiet as most people had retreated to the cooler climates of inside. It made travelling easier. Fewer eyes, fewer questions, fewer chances of having to actually talk to someone. Having lived my whole life in the woods, these trips into the city were always a chance I took, but one worth everything to me. The noise and the bustle was more than I could handle, so I would come at night, or in the evenings when it was hot and stifling. It didn't bother me, but it seemed to bother those who lived in the tall buildings of the city. I was different. Not sure exactly what I was, but my closest guess was a demon of some sort. At least that is what the men in the black clothes called the ones they hunted. Life as a demon wasn't exactly simple. I had listened to enough conversations discreetly to learn that whether you were turned recently or years ago, one thing remained true. The world wanted us dead. The men, or Demon Hunters as some called them, patrolled the shadows. I had to be careful to avoid them. I had seen their work. I wasn't about to become the next victory. Every choice I made had consequences. Ordinary people walked beside monsters every day and never knew. I aimed to keep my existence unknown from everyone. I had never been told I was a demon, nor had I been shown how to be one, I had lost my parents when I was 16 and had to learn to manage on my own. Most of the demons I followed survived on human flesh and blood. I couldn't stomach the thought, and unlike most, I found I could survive on regular food. Beef, chicken, fruits and the vegetables I grew in my garden. What I survived on was my choice. Had been for as long as I could remember, and I could remember for a very, very, long time. I had no explanation for this. None of the demons I watched ate like I did. They also seemed to have powers that I did not possess.

Tonight was no different than any other night. Just another quiet walk through the hot, humid city, wandering beneath the streetlights.

Until a scream shattered the silence. It echoed from somewhere deeper in the alleyways ahead and I shrunk into the shadows, hiding before I was seen. I moved toward the sound and hid behind a dumpster. The smell of rotten food drifted through the air, but it was overpowered by the pungent smell of brimstone. A demon had cornered a terrified human, hunger twisting their expression into something feral. This was the first time I had seen a demon before the kill. It intrigued me.

"Please!" the woman cried, stumbling backward. The demon lunged but suddenly, mid-air the demon fell. A jade-coated blade erupted clean through the demon's chest. As the demon collapsed on to its knees' it let out an agonized scream.

A tall man, dressed in the black military looking outfit stepped from the darkness at the end of the alley. He was covered in tactical gear from head to foot, a fitted mask concealing the lower part of his face. His sword slid free in one smooth motion as black blood splattered across the pavement. The demon barely had time to regenerate before a single gunshot rang through the alley. The jade coated round pierced the demon's skull.

Silence.

The hunter lowered his pistol and spoke into a radio clipped to his vest. "Area secure."

As the words left his lips, his eyes shifted. Not towards the body on the ground, nor to the human, still crumpled and cowering against the brick wall. He looked at me. I could see his hand tighten visibly on the hilt of his sword.

"You're a demon." He said, his voice tinged with disgust. That angered me. I had done nothing wrong. I was just watching! Why be so rude? His cyan eyes narrowed slightly above the mask, studying every detail of my stance. My breathing my posture. I wasn't trying to appear threatening, but I was ready for whatever he wanted to throw at me. Defiance showed in my eyes, I couldn't control that.

"And?" I said quietly.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead his gaze flickered toward the human. "Get out of here." He said calmly. "Now."

He never took his eyes off me. The human scurried out of the alley not needing to be told twice. Footsteps scrambled away into the darkness, fading quickly. Only when the sound had completely disappeared did he speak again.

"Most demons would've joined in." His tone was conversational. Almost disturbingly calm, given the circumstances. "You didn't."

He tilted his head slightly, watching my reaction with the same intensity someone might use to examine a puzzle.

"You don't smell like human blood. Fresh or otherwise." He sounded almost confused. His free hand moved slowly back toward the pistol at his hip. Not drawing it, just resting there.

"So, I'll ask once." His voice dropped lower. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled as innocently as I could. "Would you believe accidental? Evening stroll? I don't eat humans by the way. Most are rather foul smelling."

He went completely still. For a long moment he said nothing. Just stared. His hand remained near his pistol, but his fingers didn't move. Behind the mask, his expression was impossible to read.

Finally he spoke quietly. "You're telling me you don't eat humans." It wasn't a question. More like he was testing how the words sounded aloud. His eyes narrowed further, searching my face for any sign of deception. Years of experience had taught him to spot lies instantly, trembling hands, erratic heartbeats, pupils dilating at the wrong moments. But he found nothing, which somehow made it worse.

"That's not possible." He said flatly. "Every demon needs human flesh to survive. It's not a choice. It's biology." He took one measured step forward, sword still held loosely at his side. "I've killed hundreds of your kind. Heard every excuse. Every lie. Every plea."

Another step.

"I only eat bad people. I can control it. I'm different." His voice remained eerily calm, but there was something sharp beneath it now. "They all said something similar right before they tore someone apart."

He stopped just outside of striking distance. "So why should I believe you're any different?"

His thumb traced the edge of his sword absently. "Convince me."

I raised my chin defiantly. "Your biology is wrong. Your science is wrong. I don't need flesh or blood, human or otherwise. I can survive quite well on human food. A burger, fries, a good steak." A small cheeky smile twitched at my lips. "Rare of course." I'm not sure why I was trying to bait him, but I wasn't afraid of him. Not like others I had met. His hand froze mid-motion, and I wondered if the rare comment was too far. For the first time since the encounter began, genuine uncertainty flickered around his eyes. He lowered his sword slightly, just an inch, but noticeable.

"That's not possible." He repeated but this time his tone had shifted. Less certain, more confusion. "There is no documented case of…" he stopped himself. His free hand moved to the radio on his vest, hovering there for a moment before pulling away. His jaw tightened beneath the mask.

After a long pause he spoke. "Rare steak." He said it like he was testing the absurdity of the statement. "Your telling me you walked past a demon actively hunting a human…because you were out for an evening stroll …and you survive on rare steak?" Despite everything there was no sarcasm in his voice. Just…processing. He glanced down at the demon corpse nearby and then back at me.

"When were you turned?" the question came suddenly, sharply. "How long have you been surviving this way? And don't lie, your eyes, your scent, everything about you screams demon. But your behavior…" he sheathed his sword slowly, but his hand immediately moved to rest on his pistol, "doesn't match anything I've ever seen."

The defiance left my eyes, and I could feel the sadness, the loneliness creep into them. I shifted my gaze downwards hoping he didn't see. "I don't know when I was turned. I've been eating this way my whole life, or as long as I can remember." I began pacing back and forth, the frustration of my existence rippling off me. "I'm not a normal demon. I've never met any other ones personally, but the ones I've seen while out walking are nothing like me. I walk a lot, it's good for you."

His eyes widened fractionally. The most emotion he had shown all night.

"Your…whole life?" His hand left the pistol entirely. He took a step back, processing what I had just said. His other hand came up and pulled the mask down slightly, revealing a sharp jawline and lips pressed into a thin, contemplative line.

"That would mean you were either turned as a child…or" he trailed off, something clicking behind his eyes.

"…or you genuinely have no memory of being human at all."

Silence stretched between us. Somewhere in the distance sirens wailed, growing closer. More than likely responding to the screams or the human called the police. He glanced toward the sound, then back at me.

"I should call this in." he said quietly. "Protocol says any demon encounter gets reported immediately. Especially one this…unusual." He didn't reach for his radio but instead, he studied me with renewed intensity.

"You said you never met another demon in person. Met or talked?"

"Talked."

"That means you've been surviving alone. No territory. No pack. No…guidance." His brow furrowed. "Do you even know what you are? What your abilities might be? Your rank?"

I looked at him, confused. "Rank?"

He just stared at me. "How have you survived this long without hunters finding you?"

Pride took over the confusion. "I live in the forest. I have a cabin, I am quite good at remaining unseen. My family died when I was a teenager and they didn't like society, so they had kept me pretty sheltered. So I just kept hiding after they were gone." Something he had said made me look at him directly. "Why would you think I have powers?"

His expression shifted again. Something almost resembling sympathy flickered across his features before disappearing behind his usual calm mask. "I'm…sorry about your family."

He said it simply. Genuinely. Then his analytical mind clicked back in. "All demons have enhanced strength, speed, and regeneration at minimum. That's universal." He gestured vaguely toward me. "but most also develop unique abilities. Powers tied to whatever emotional state triggered their transformation, or sometimes completely random." He paused, considering something. "Low rank demons don't have any powers. But if you've been surviving this long without eating humans, your body should've withered, starved. You should be feral by now, or dead."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Unless…" he went quite for a moment, clearly debating something internally.

The sirens got louder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Listen.." he said suddenly, urgently. "Other hunters are coming. If they find you here, next to that body, they won't ask questions. They'll shoot first." He stepped closer lowering his voice. "I need to get you out of here. Now. Then we're going to have a very long conversation about what you are."

He extended his hand slightly. Not threatening but offering.

"Trust me or run. Your choice. But decide fast."

I took a deep breath. Everything in me screamed run. But I needed to know what I was. He knew my kind, or something close to it. "I…trust you…slightly." I whispered.

His eyes met mine for a brief moment and something unreadable flickered in that oh so blue gaze, before he moved.

Fast.

"Follow me. Stay close. Don't speak." He turned sharply, leading us away from the alley in the opposite direction of the approaching sirens. His movements were fluid, practiced. Someone who knew these streets like the back of his hand. He navigated through narrow passages, over a low fence, down a service corridor. Every turn deliberate. Every step calculated to avoid cameras, streetlights and potential witnesses. After several minutes of silent movement he finally slowed near an unmarked black SUV parked in a secluded lot. He unlocked it remotely, opening the passenger door first.

"Get in."

I didn't hesitate. Once I was in and the door shut he circled around to the driver's seat, starting the engine immediately. The interior was pristine with military grade equipment cases in the back, a laptop mounted to the dashboard and the faint smell of gun oil and coffee. He pulled out onto the road, driving at exactly the speed limit. After a few minutes he spoke.

"My name is Adrian. Adrian Blackwire. I am an Elite-rank Demon Hunter. Something I've been doing for many years." He glanced at me briefly. "What is your name?"

I looked at his silhouette. He sat straight as an arrow in the seat, hands on the wheel, muscles tensed. "Alea. Alea Stormraven."

"I need to find a place for us to go, where we won't be easily found." His right hand moved to the laptop and then stopped. "I can't use this, they will know."

He pulled off the road suddenly, jumped out and dove under the vehicle. When he reentered the car, he had a small device in his hand. He tossed it in the back. "Tracker. All hunters have one in their vehicle in case they go silent."

I sat staring at him. He just ripped out the only thing that could have called for help should he need it. He eliminated his safety net. For me.

"I know a place." I said. Adrian turned at looked at me. "Where?"

"My cabin. No one will find us there. No one ever has."

Adrian's hands tightened on the steering wheel for just a moment. He glanced at me again, longer this time, clearly weighing the risk.

"Your cabin. In the forest."

I could read the thoughts on his face. A demon, inviting him to an isolated location, alone. Every instinct he had honed over the years screamed it was a trap.

And yet everything about the situation defied logic already. A demon who didn't eat humans. Who survived on regular food, who had no memory of turning, who walked away from an active hunt. He'd spent years learning to trust his instincts, but right now his instincts were conflicted. He exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Alright Alea." The name rolled off his tongue carefully, like he was committing it to memory. "Give me directions. And understand something…" his voice remained calm, but there was steel beneath it. "I'm armed. Jade coated weapons. If this is a trap, I will defend myself." He met my eyes briefly before returning his attention to the road. "But if you are telling the truth…" he paused, "then we both need answers and your cabin is probably safer than anywhere in the city right now."

He adjusted his grip on the wheel. "Which way?"

I let out an exasperated sigh. I understood why he didn't trust me, but it still irritated me. "Tie my hands then. If it makes you feel safer. But the size of you compared to my small 5 foot 3? You could overpower me easily if I sneezed the wrong way."

Adrian's eyebrows rose slightly. The first sign of genuine surprise. He glanced at me again, taking in my smaller frame fully for the first time. Then back to the road.

"That's…not how demon strength works." He said quietly. "Size doesn't determine power. I've seen demons half your height snap steel beams." Something in his posture relaxed, just fractionally. The offer itself, to be restrained voluntarily, spoke volumes. No demon he'd ever encountered had suggested such a thing. Most fought to the bitter end or tried to manipulate or seduce or deceive. None had ever just…offered.

He reached into the center console with one hand, pulling out a bundle of military grade zip ties. He set them on the dashboard between us.

"I'm not going to tie you. Not yet." His voice was quieter now. "But keep your hands where I can see them. On your lap or the door handle. Nothing sudden." He took the turn onto the road leading out of the city. "If you are planning to attack me, you would've done it in the alley when my back was turned."

He looked at me. "You didn't."

"Which way?"

"Follow the highway towards the mountains." I couldn't figure him out. He exuded power, but he kept it restrained. He acted like he trusted me but pulled out the zip ties. I didn't understand him, but then again, I didn't understand humans. Although, I wasn't entirely sure he was human.

Adrian nodded once and merged onto the highway smoothly. The city lights gradually faded behind them, replaced by darkness and the occasional glow of distant farmhouses. The hum of tires on asphalt filled the silence.

Adrian drove in silent focus for several minutes, checking his mirrors periodically. Not in a paranoid way, just thorough. His right hand rested on the wheel, left arm relaxed against the door. After about ten minutes, he spoke.

"You said your family kept you sheltered." His tone was conversational now, careful. "Did they know? About what you were?" He gave me a sideways glance before returning his attention to the road ahead. "Or did you hide it from them?"

The question wasn't accusatory. Just…curious. Genuinely trying to understand. The mountains loomed larger in the distance now, dark silhouettes against the inky night sky.

"And when they died…" he continued quietly, cautiously. "…was it natural causes? Or…"

He left the question hanging. His hand shifted slightly on the wheel, not toward a weapon, but the movement betrayed some internal tension.

"I need to understand your situation completely Alea. Everything. Because what you're describing shouldn't exist."

He paused, took a breath, let it out slowly and said. "But here you are."

I cleared my throat. I knew I had to tell him what I knew. "I didn't know what I was until a few weeks ago. Or at least something close to it. I honestly thought I was human. I followed one of you, and that's when the one they were chasing noticed me. He called me Demonique. Said I was royalty or some shit. He even bowed!" I took another deep breath. "As for my parents. I don't like to talk about them. They died. It was horrible. A fire. You don't need to know more than that."

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