Heart Afire

[1] Enigma

Life has always been a puzzle that could not be solved. 

With the players that surrounded her, she had to carefully calculate her way through the grass— Edging closer to cut the ones who want to harm her from the beginning. 

Such unnecessary preparation is the way of life when entering the battlefield.

"If it isn't my wonderful cousin, [name]! How ya doin?" In the eyes of other people, Gideon was just a sweet little kid who wasn't a complete menace of a fool head over heels. In her eyes, he was nothing, but a headache who was spoiled down to the bones. Gideon could feel her stare being burrowed into his skull as he stood there longer than necessary, greeting her politely. 

His cousin was a hard nut to crack, when she first visited him— He did his best to be all sweet and friendly, hoping to manipulate his cousin into also doing his evil deeds. Like his father who wasn't strict with him anymore, he was a spoiled brat through and through. 

However... His father didn't mention that his cousin was a nightmare to deal with. 

"You already know I don't like you." The dry curt tone of hers startled the boy out of his own thoughts, his fan-club— The two buff adult men standing next to Gideon were taken aback by her direct answer. They were quick to defend the spoiled child, "Hey! That's no way to talk to the angel of a child! Yeah!" 

Her indifferent [e/c] eyes stared at the trio, leaving them uncomfortable and nervous in silence. "Say what you want, I don't buy the sweet act." Gideon flinched as soon as she stood up, stepping back as she gathered her things calmly and unhurriedly. "People like you, are so easy to step on." The mirth in her tone as she takes the situation lightly, mocking the two bodyguards at his side as they stiffened. 

"You won't be late for dinner, will you, 'Angel of a child'?" His cousin mimicked the defensive tone of his bodyguard, his face paling as he nodded rapidly in response. "I—I'll be there on t—time." His bodyguards finally had the courage to ask the poor boy, "Why are you afraid of her, Lil' Gideon?" 

If Gideon could answer such a question, would he not be so afraid of her? The look of contempt in her eyes as she stares down at him. The degrading smirk on her lips as he stutters to explain, only to drop the subject as he averts his gaze shakily. "You don't have to explain, Gideon." There wasn't much to say, all it meant was that whatever his cousin did— or done so, avoid at all cost.

People feared the unknown, it wasn't any different than normal human emotions.

Pretentious humans whose knowledge attempts to surpass the divinity, summoning their life source as a promise for an exchange of unlimited knowledge. Being an deity sounded far more entertaining than playing the waiting game with a certain demon.

The amount of times he's never given up, his methods were all heinous and devious. If it meant what he wanted, then he would do so to gain his own amusement. 

"You've been following me for a while." 

The triangular demon mused to himself, "So you've noticed. I see you're much smarter than those country bumpkin folks who ignore the strange and weird." With her back turned, her eyes straightforwardly staring in the direction she was previously heading— It was no need to watch him carefully. 

The more careful she was, the harder he would try to trip her up to make a fool of herself. 

He comes for the games, the small amount of excitement lighting up his eyes as he fools another into his trap. Anyone like her was no exception to his alluring scam that tempted many out of their lives. 

"Won't you take up my offer, [name]? I could give you everything you wanted." The dream demon tempted, the emphasis in his words did sound appealing to many humans that were not interested in his offer previously. What he doesn't expect is that she wasn't just any other human that could be stolen so easily.

Her lips edging to a neutral stance, her pace picking up again as she leaves the demon in the clearing of the woods. "You're better off fooling others with that scam of yours, than trying to lure me in with your deranged pick up lines." 

So cold of her, saying such harsh words. 

It's so vile, hearing her curse him with an apathetic heart. Could he be wrong to say that he enjoyed such a nice feeling for once? Flattery was nice every once in a while, but hearing it so often always put a damper on his mood. Enemies, they weren't any different than her— Calling him such vile names while chasing him so reverently. 

"We'd make a great pair, you know?" Her incessant ignoring was so... attractive in one way or another. The demon admired such loyalty and a through and thorough principle...

All the more merrier to ruin it to the ground.

a/n: let's pray this is a fast edit since it's the shortest book i have.