Author's Notes: I kinda noticed that, recently, Dante was never the main character of his own games. In DMC2, there was Lucia, and now there's Nero as the series' lead. I think that, for dramatic reasons, it's the most appropriate way to go. Dante is pretty much OP, having him as main character would ruin the dramatic tension. So here, I introduce my second protagonist. The writing style is very different from chapter 1, I wanted to reflect their difference of personality in the narration.

Please don't hesitate to leave a review, that would be much appreciated.

ORPHANS

The only sound she could hear was that, soft and steady, of her breathing. It was as if the world around had been deprived of its voice. Actually, she wasn't even sure there was a world around her anymore. Strangely, there was something soothing about that thought. A constant stream of images was flowing through her mind, with none really taking precedence over the other. Were they memories? Dreams? She didn't know. She didn't want to know. She just was there, alone, surrounded by her own thoughts. Alone with herself.

Then, slowly, in this beautiful silence, a whisper seemed to emerge, vague and distant like an echo. A calming melody in which the sound of the wind in the trees and the laughter of children intertwined, and yet it made her shuddered. Without really wanting it, she opened her eyes.

Nothing remained of the heavy storm clouds that had smothered the sunlight for the past few days. Just a few white trails here and there, lazily floating across the blue sky. It took her time to get back up, her body was still stiff from the long nap she took.

She took a circular look around her, standing still, barefoot in the grass, her arms dangling by her side. The park was almost empty by now. Only a few people remained, strolling here and there or reading a book under a tree. The sun was already starting to descend on the horizon.

It had gone by so fast.

Slowly, without really thinking, she dusted the grass from her clothes, put her shoes back on without even tying them, and headed for the exit. She was walking without really watching where she was going, traying instead to remember what her dream had been, but the closer she got from the center of town, the more the world seemed to take shape around her, slowly pulling her back to reality. The air became more oppressive, more sultry, a lingering smell of sweat and gasoline permeating the concrete walls like a giant greenhouse, silence making room to the uproar of the crowd, the engines and sirens.

The shriek of the big city.

'You fucking thief! Wha, you think it's free canteen, here?!'

A group of people had started to form around the shop. The shopkeeper, fat and imposing, was shaking a little girl up without restraint. His eyes seemed to have tripled in size with anger. The little girl, her face contorted with the pain of the slaps she was occasionally receiving, was screaming her lungs out.

'You're hurting me!'

'Good! That way you'll learn your fucking lesson, you piece of shit!'

The young woman took a look around her. More than fifteen people were watching the scene, as if it was a street show organized to entertain passer-byes. Some looked outraged, some were giggling, some were even filming with their phones. But none intervened.

'Hey!'

The young woman made her way through the crowd.

'Is that something you do often?' she said disapprovingly. 'Hitting children like that?'

The shopkeeper glared back at her. She couldn't help but notice that vein on the side of his forehead.

'That's something I do when they come to empty my stand! Wha, you gonna take her side, now?!'

'Yes,' she answered calmly but firmly. 'Because I don't hit a thief when he's not even half my size.'

'Oh really?! Oh that's just fine and dandy, now! They come to steal your stuff, and we should welcome them with fucking roses! Who the fuck are you anyway?! Her ma?'

The young woman had increasing difficulty hiding her disgust at the shopkeeper's vulgarity. It only occurred to her then that his constant screaming was really starting to irritate her.

'Doesn't matter who I am. Now let her go before you break her arm.'

'Oh really?! Well since you seem to really want to take care of her, perhaps you can pay for what she stole, right? Time to take responsibility, missy!'

There was something vaguely obscene in these words, in the way he pronounced them. Something nauseating, as if his very Greed was coming out of the pores of his skin. She stared at him for a moment…and then she smiled.

'You want money, is that it?' she said with an unctuous voice. 'Not a problem, my good sir, I'll give you what you want.'

While she feigned searching through her pocket, she took a quick look at the crowd around her: a few more had come to listen to the argument between her and the man. Nearly twenty persons.

That was perfect.

'Here you go, good sir.'

A wave of astonishment spread through the assembly when they saw what she took out of her pocket.

'…a ruby?'

It was a beautiful, shiny red stone, roughly the size of a tangerine, glimmering under the setting sun.

'Well, actually, it's a garnet, but it's still very valuable, and I'm sure it will largely cover your losses and oops, clumsy me…'

She dropped the stone to her feet. The reaction was immediate.

'IT'S MINE!'

'I SAW IT FIRST!'

'OUT OF THE WAY, YOU…'

'CALM DOWN! CALM DOOOOOWN!'

Everybody was screaming and ramming into each other, desperately trying to get their hand on the stone. Soon, the brawl was such that the shopkeeper had to elbow people away to protect his fruit stand. As such, when the young woman calmly took the hand of the little girl and walked away as if nothing happened, nobody cared. With an impish smile, the child turned to her protector.

'Haha! You got them good!'

No answer. Actually, the woman was looking quite stern at the moment.

'I mean, the ruby trick, that was great! They didn't even notice when…'

'Haven't I told you to stop the shoplifting gig?'

The girl's smile disappeared when she heard the tinge of reproach in the woman's voice.

'…I was hungry…'

'Assia, if you're hungry, you come and find me, ok? I can make you sandwiches, I can even give you some money, ok?'

Assia just stared at her feet, doing her best not to look the older woman in the eyes, and said:

'I don't want you to do that. You already do a lot for me…'

'Hey, I'm the grownup here, ok? I'm the one who's here to worry about you.'

The child just nodded tentatively, and asked:

'…you angry, Liya?'

The woman just looked at her protegee, half -comforting, half-exasperated.

'I'd rather you didn't steal from honest…from other people.'

Kneeling down, she put her hand on Assia's shoulder and said:

'You promise you'll never do it again?'

'What if I'm hungy?'

Liya just chuckled. That was probably a lost cause, anyway. So she took a her handkerchief and covered her left hand with it. When she removed it one second later, there was a big red apple in the hand.

'Whoa, so cool!'

'BUT! I don't want to hear you've been shoplifting again, is that clear?'

Cassandra nodded while biting in the fruit, although her expression was mostly saying "yeah, sure, whatever."

'Alright, let's go,' Liya said while tousling the kid's hair. 'Won't take those people long to realize the stone was just a trick.'

'Where have you been today?'

'I was resting at the park.'

'You working, tonight?'

Liya didn't answer immediately.

'…yes,' she said eventually.

That was clearly not the answer Assia was expecting.

'But I'll be back quick, you know?'

'Hum…' Assia answered, without much conviction.

Liya knew what the kid was thinking. Generally speaking, Assia hated having to stay alone.

'…look, you know what?' Liya said. 'Tomorrow, I'm taking you to the lookout. The city lights are beautiful, at night.'

'…you promise?'

'I promise.'

And so, Assia smile at her. That was all she needed.