If you are not a fan of a named MC or an OC, please do not proceed. This series is purely self-indulgent and may not appeal to everyone. Thank you for your understanding.

Daffodils are said to represent rebirth and new beginnings.

For Elysia, it is just that - a representation. Just an abstract idea people stuck to an innocent plant. Unfortunately for her, God, or rather the Devil, has a different interpretation.

It happened again.

The same fleeting dream - a never-ending night, a mansion of an old style that Elysia had only seen in pictures, and six silhouettes seated on thrones. Fear, sorrow, and the clashing feelings of loss and belongingness suffocated her entire being. She does not know them, but at the same time, she does - like how she knew that something was wrong with their number.

Six. Not seven.

Something is wrong. So wrong.

"Help…Someone help me…."

The same voice again, and the scene peeled away into a carved door before her eyes. She tried to touch it, like many times she had done, but it only disappeared upon contact, sending her tumbling forward. A repeated mistake. Over and over again. An abyss opened up beneath her feet, and she fell. She reached out for anything to break her fall, and her fingers closed in on a lone white feather. It was soft, beautiful, and pure, but just like everything else in this dream, it was fleeting. Its vane became stained with black and crumbled on her palm.

Down she went - deeper into the maw of an awaiting demon. The darkness was suffocating as if hands were gripping her neck. Purple eyes opened and watched her descent. Down, down, and…

…Her eyes snapped open. Elysia's arms flailed in the air, searching for a nonexistent purchase. She hauled herself to a sitting position and combed her calloused fingers through brown hair. Sweat trickled down her brow, and her wide blue eyes stared at the plain blanket covering her legs. The dream was already falling from her grasp - the fragments fading like an afterthought.

She panted, counting in her head and reassuring herself it was just a dream. Again. After finally gathering her wits back, Elysia reached for her eyeglasses and glanced at the clock at her bedside. Four-thirty in the morning. It was still early, but she doubted she could resume sleep. She kicked off the covers and climbed out of bed, picking off the clothes scattered on the floor. She was usually tidy, but alcohol has a knack for dulling the senses, even in reasonable quantities. She knows better than getting wasted - living alone for nearly seven years has annoying disadvantages.

"Hahhh…right. It's Sunday today."

Elysia chucked her dirty clothes into the laundry bin and headed for the bathroom. She turned away the lid of the medicine cabinet - she did not like seeing her reflection in the mirror - and sifted through the contents until she found some paracetamol. The headache she was expecting has yet to fuck her up, but it would not hurt to bring it just in case.

Her preparations were quick - brush her teeth, wash her face, and comb her delightfully tangled hair to submission. She planned to take a proper bath later - taking a breather is her priority right now. A pair of pants and a jacket over her sleepwear were everything she threw in, and then she was off.

"Oh? You're up early today, dearie."

Ocean blue eyes turned to an elderly woman in her late sixties. The landlady was carrying a few bouquets of white daffodils in her arms - a couple of them carefully laid out at the doors of the other apartments. The old lady always had this odd routine of bringing flowers to her tenants every Sunday. This is the first time Elysia has seen it in action - she usually sleeps in during this day of the week.

"Good morning, Missus Agnes." Elysia greeted. "I'm going for a jog. Are those flowers for everyone?"

"That's right, dearie." The landlady plucked one from a bouquet and offered it to the younger woman. "These are daffodils. Did you know that these flowers mean 'rebirth' and 'new beginnings'?"

"Yes," A fond smile flickered on Elysia's face as she accepted the flower. "You taught me the language of flowers when I was still new here."

"Ah, yes." Agnes chuckled. Her grey eyes took on a nostalgic look that the younger woman knew very well. "This grandma still remembers that. You were a skittish child back then. You always hole yourself up in your apartment and rarely go out. I was afraid you'd wither like a month-old apple in there!"

Elysia laughed, but her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "I suppose. Though, I wouldn't still consider a twenty-two-year-old lady a kid." Her fingers tightened around the stem. "Sorry for making you worry."

Agnes waved it off. "Let bygones be bygones, dearie." She said. "Make sure to eat a lot. A woman your age has still room for growing!"

"I'm twenty-five already, Missus Agnes." The younger woman reminded her. "I'm past the growing stage. I'd like to think I grew decently for a woman."

"Goodness gracious, this child!" The landlady scolded. "You have a bright future ahead of you. God wouldn't smite you for being a little selfish. If these old bones allowed it, I would live for a century!"

"And that you will, Missus Agnes," Elysia assured her. "You'll live long enough to see my grandchildren."

"I better!" The older woman gently patted the daffodil bouquets. "Now, run along, dearie. Make sure to come by my office to get yours later. You understand?"

"Yes, yes." Elysia tucked the flower into the inside pocket of her jacket. "I'll bring you those pastries the Instagram elites were raving about."

"Ah, this child!" The landlady clucked her tongue. "Don't involve me in those internet thingamajigs you youngsters are up to."

"It's just food, Missus Agnes." The younger woman told her and checked her phone. "Well then, I'm off. See you later!"

"Careful with the stairs, you hear me?"

"Yes!"

Elysia waved goodbye and descended to the semi-urban streets where her apartment complex was located. She spent most of her daily hours in the city, half an hour bus ride away, working as a chef in a high-end restaurant. Not the job she had in mind after graduating college nor exactly a hospitable work environment, but there is little to whine about when she has no other way to put food on the plate. Prices for necessities have been rising lately, and living has become more of a privilege. Elysia could only be thankful she earns enough to cover all expenses and has some to save. Plus, she has an entire day for rest, so really, she should not complain.

"It's really cold this early…."

Elysia puffed out, noting how her breath fogged her eyeglasses. She put on her wireless earphones and set her playlist to shuffle. Pumped-up music blared from her earphones, and she pocketed her phone. She still has a few hours to get some simple workout before daylight and when the pastry shop opens. She decided to jog alongside the cemented river bank, watching the world slowly rouse under the sun's gaze.

Peaceful times like this are rare and far in-between. In a world where survival has equaled the number of material things one possesses, the struggle to live is apparent in every nook and cranny. Elysia was no different. She might not live long enough to be considered wise, but she has seen many things from jumping from one country to another. Not that she is an expert in anthropology or related studies, but she finds it saddening that fact has not changed no matter where she goes.

Then again, is it the time to worry about others? She has her own share of problems - issues she does not have the tiniest idea of how to confront.

Are her brothers doing well these years?

Do they miss her?

Does her father even miss her?

Elysia stopped in her tracks, her breath coming out as white puffs. Stop thinking about them. Just...stop. She shook her head and looked around. For a moment, she was confused, failing to recognize her surroundings. Everything felt new and unfamiliar. That is until her eyes landed on the abandoned building at her right. The painted sign board was still sitting atop the awning, as she remembered years ago. The glass doors and windows were taped with manila paper, and a crudely written sign of For Sale was plastered on the right window.

This place is…Elysia had vowed she would take back this place for her. Before transferring to the apartment complex, this former cafe had been her haven and home for two years. The late owner was her savior and close confidant before her untimely death in an accident three years ago. There was no one to inherit the place, nor did her confidant manage to leave a will behind. Since then, she has worked her butt off to save enough money to repurchase the cafe before anyone else.

"...A little bit more," Elysia whispered to the wind. "Just please wait a little bit more."

There was no response. Not that she expected any. The dead are that - dead. They are not going back. Dwelling too much on the past would not bring them back. She knows that better than most people would claim.

Elysia let her gaze linger on the abandoned building before continuing her way. The pastry shop was just a fifteen-minute walk, and before vehicles congested the streets, she had returned to the apartment complex. Agnes was nowhere to be found when she came by her office. Elysia dropped the box of canelés on the antique mahogany desk and climbed to her apartment. She was not worried - the landlady would surely come knocking on her door later to pass a bouquet later.

She did her chores, cleaning after the mess she had left everything the night before. It was routine at this point, and it did not take her long to take the long-awaited warm bath finally. Washing the laundry comes next. She needs something to wear for that grand event the restaurant will host on Tuesday.

Elysia was rummaging through her jacket's pockets when she plucked out the daffodil from earlier. It was mostly intact, though some of its petals were torn off. She twirled the stem between fingers, blankly gazing at the lone flower.

New beginnings, huh…Elysia could not see how people would think of a meaning for a flower. There are hundreds, no, thousands of them, and she doubted all had an abstract idea attached to their existence. Still, she had found it enjoyable to learn the language of flowers. Call her cruel, but it was hilarious if she caught sight of someone giving the wrong flower at a bad moment.

Elysia smiled and stood up to place the flower in a vase she had emptied the day before when a bright red flashed in her peripheral. She looked down to see a glowing circle on the floor that was not there just a moment ago. The strange symbols etched along it pulsed, and dread twisted in her gut.

"What the fuck-!"

Before she knew it, the light burst and swallowed the entire room. She could not see, and her ears rang like a malfunctioning electronic. She barely heard someone knocking at her door and calling her name. The light faded as fast as it appeared, and Elysia found herself standing in the dark courtroom that haunted her dreams and a man she had never seen in her life smiling down at her like an old friend.

"Welcome to the Devildom, Elysia."