Yellow-Eyed Demon

When she looked back she didn't remember when it had all started.

She had no recollection of anything, not of parents nor of a family, nothing. It was only her, that day she arrived in front of that gleaming white castle. She wished she never entered through those white double doors. The moment she did her life of misery began.

There wasn't any reason for it. There was merely disgust, hatred, and anger thrown her way. White eyes stared her down in contempt.

Fingers were pointed at her. Vicious accusations were spat her way.

Someone grabbed her by the scalp of her hair."Why are you even here?"

They broke into smiles, laughing. "You shouldn't exist!"

They gave her all sorts of repulsive descriptions.

The maids talked behind her back. "Look, there she is… that little vile thing."

The other children laughed "Freak!"

"Demon!"

They called her every possible thing but never once did they bother to use a name for her. For them, she would forever be etched into the annals of their family as just that… a demon. A thing rather than a person.

But she had one. She had a name.

The demon they kept mistreating had a name. It had memorized it to heart from the moment she first read it. No one told her. But she had a name. One that was given to her from before she entered this hell. The single piece of information she knew about herself.

Ana.

That was her name. She clung to it like a lifeline. Somewhere outside there, somebody, someone that had given her that name. She didn't know them. She didn't remember them anymore but there was someone. Someone was out there.

That's all that mattered to her. She didn't need more than that. It was enough to keep her afloat in this sea of endless misery. When she came back from her classes she would curl in on herself. She lied on the excuse of a mattress provided to her and illuminated by only a single candle she repeated her name like a mantra.

Ana. That's who she was! Never would she forget it.

Nobody could take that from her.

Inside the castle, Ana went to classes. She was taught how to read, write, and the basics of mathematics. She learned about regulars, rankers, the tower, and the 10 families reigning throughout it.

She was apparently one member of such a family. The Arie family. Strongest, most prestigious, and righteous of all families. Ana couldn't help but snort when the teachers told them that.

Here in the castle, they were trained in the art of combat from a young age. To become regulars that climbed the tower later. Specifically, the art of the sword was drilled into them the moment she arrived here. They would exercise only at first with wooden swords. Ana learned, practiced, and afterward she would return to her little safe space far away from everyone's eyes.

One day they were finally allowed for the first time to pick up a real sword.

Ana sat among the sea of white children on the stands, just another spec of white. Her white tunic blended in around the others. It was a shared trait among them all. Their instructor the children among her, everyone in the family shared the same trait pure white eyes and hair. Everything was always white. From top to bottom all in perfect harmony.

Among the sea of white, her glowing yellow eyes stuck out like a sore thumb.

In front of her, the teacher went over the sword techniques. She listened attentively, absorbing as much information as she could. Anything that would give her an advantage she would take. If they would give her training she would use it to the utmost.

When the teacher finished they were allowed to come down from the stands. An array of weapons lined up in front of them. Dull but nevertheless swords. They all moved to pick up one.

She moved along the collection of blades, a frown etched upon her face. All of them were glinting beautifully in the light, not knowing which one to choose she decided to pick up a rather big one.

However, she immediately came to regret her decision as the sword weight pulled her down to the floor. Ana looked around. No one had seen her. She straightened herself and put it back with some effort.

She chose instead a smaller broadsword.

Afterward, they were paired into couples of two. They would duel each other one after the other until finally, it was her turn. The teacher looked up his eyes scouring the stands. His eyes landed on her. His nose scrunched up.

He raised his hand. "Come down." He gestured her way.

Ana resisted the urge to freeze up as all eyes suddenly looked her way. She schooled her expression into one of indifference as she felt their eyes on her. They whispered behind her back. She heard the uttering of "demon" and "unpure". She forced herself to keep walking. Ana would show no sign of weakness.

Not to them.

She heard footsteps to her side. She looked sideways. Her opponent moved across from her down the stairs. Their eyes met. Her hands clutched her sword tightly. He had the same look. The same look as everyone else...

They moved down to the floor. She stopped in across from him. Their eyes stared at each other, yellow and white. Then a shit-eating smirk settled on his lips.

No one noticed but the grip on her handle turned starkly white. That was the only outward clue to the wave of anger surging up inside her. She hated it. She hated that look they gave her. She hated it so much.

That look that said that she was beneath them. That said she was filth.

That look that said she was beneath them.

That arrogance, she hated it so much.

Her sword shook in her hand as she held her sword at the ready. She forced herself to loosen the vice grip on her weapon. She breathed in and out. Ana forced the tidal wave inside her to quell.

The duel began with the gong. Her opponent quickly charged at her crossing the distance between them. She waited, her body not moving an inch from her position. Her sword stood at the ready.

When he was inches from her face he lifted his sword in an attack above his head striking it downwards. The second he did she moved to the side! His strike meant for her head soared past her side. She loosened one hand from her grip. Her hand turned into a fist before heading straight for his exposed gut.

With no small feeling of satisfaction, she felt her fist embed itself into his stomach. He grunted out in pain. When he doubled over she took the handle of her sword, ramming its pommel down upon his head.

She sent him crashing into the ground.

He was out cold. It was over in an instant.

Silence reigned inside the room. She lifted her gaze from her fallen opponent across to the stands. She took in the expressions of shock lining their faces. A small smile blossomed across her face. With a hum, she placed the sword back to the others. She went past her shocked instructor's face to the stands.

The other children parted before her. She sat down in her spot again.

Following her little stun word spread quickly. Ana snickered in glee when she overheard the maids that passed her. The demon defeated a 'noble' son of the Arie family. They thought because her blood was 'tainted' meant that she wasn't as strong?

That she couldn't wield a sword?

That she couldn't stand up to them.

How amusing.

They were wrong. She would make them regret underestimating her.

But if she thought her stun would garner any respect.

She was wrong, dead wrong.

Not in this family. This family prided themselves on swordsmanship and purity. She had trampled on both. First, by even being capable with a sword and the other was the whole reason she was so despised in the first place.

So what would they do when the demon wouldn't learn her place?

They would make sure she learned her lesson with a ferocity she would expect of them.

Her peers and instructors began to make sure her life would become a living hell. Where they had only given her disgusted looks and dirty words at first, they now started to accidentally shove her to the ground when she came across them in the hallway.

The teachers didn't stop them when the others harassed her during class. They even set her up with challenges during class they normally wouldn't put others through. They sat her up with duel partners she had never seen during class.

Ana couldn't complain she could only endure. Sometimes she even managed to win the challenges they set up for her or win a duel.

But every little action that showed defiance they rewarded with further punishments. Sometimes they full-blown beat her in the hallways. She would come more than often into her room, her body arching, bruises littering her face.

But she pushed on nevertheless. The thought of stopping never once occurred to her. She wouldn't stop. Not now. Ana wouldn't show any sign of weakness. Not to them, she would not give them the satisfaction.

But even she had a breaking point.

"Look, it's the demon child!" A passing servant hushed out.

"Don't look! Just ignore her!" Another said quickly shooing her coworker away.

Ana ignored them as she walked on, hands tugged into her white tunic. Her white boots resounded in the hallway. She could hear their fading whispers behind her. She gritted her teeth as she turned the corner into the next hallway. What did they even know?! Ana's stride became faster as she walked on.

She soon stopped when another figure emerged around the corner, a boy not much older than her. White eyes stared down at her with a mischievous glint.

"Yo, freak! How are you today?" He greeted her the corners of his mouth quirked up in a smirk.

Ana stopped short in front of him, yellow eyes stared him down. She ignored him. Her eyes traveled to the side. He stood in the middle of the hallway but there was still some free room. She attempted to quickly walk past him but when she was about to pass him, he stretched out his arm in front of her, stopping her roughly in her tracks.

"Now, now… why the hurry freak? I just want to talk… brother to sister, that's all, so spare me a little bit of your time, will you?!" He smirked down at her.

She really wanted to wipe it off but she forced herself to remain calm. "I doubt that… now please get out of my way!I have things to do." She shoved his arm roughly to the side, attempting to get past yet again. However, as soon as she even attempted it she felt him grab the back of her tunic with his hand. He forced her to backtrack. She fell on her butt in front of him.

Devon scowled down at her. "Listen here eye-freak!" Ana's shoulders tensed up at the insult. "You should listen when your older brother tells you something."

Ana glared back at him, her eyes flashed. "You're not my brother."

Devon smirked. "I suppose you're right… who would want to be related to you? The shame of the family? Isn't that right?" He asked no one in particular. Ana's brows knitted together.

"Damn right brother!" Ana heard laughing behind her. A shiver ran down her spine. She turned around. Sure enough, when she turned around there stood two other boys. Both were much taller than her or Devon.

They glinted at her.

Her shoulders tensed. Devon noticed this with a satisfied smile. "Get it now, freak? This is revenge for your cheating!" Got it? She had suspected something like this. They never let her off.

Ana grinned. She remember how the blunt side of her sword had hit Devon rather nicely. "Cheating? So it's cheating when someone is better than you?" She raised an eyebrow as she stood up. "Or are you angry a little girl beat you?" She jeered at him.

Even if it didn't help her anymore, to see the way Devon's jaw clenched at her words and his face scrunched up in contorted anger was worth it.

"You little…! That's it! Get her!" He pointed at her.

Ana, had enough time to hit the first one charging at her in the side with her fist before she felt someone grab her tied-back hair, painfully tugging at it. She hissed out. Her arms were restrained behind her back. Ana watched through disheveled bangs as Devon drew back his fist.

He hit her square in the jaw, pain exploded across her cheek as her head was yanked to the side. He grinned at her "Ha, how'd you like that? Hmm? Does it hurt? Want to run away now? Want to tell on us? Oh. That's right I forgot… nobody cares! You're all alone!" He crackled. The others joined him.

Ana shook her head. She blinked a few times. She stared at Devon with a raised eyebrow. "Is that all you got? You punch like a girl."

They stopped laughing. Devon's gaze narrowed at her. "It seems like you still haven't learned your lesson yet, freak!"

He readied another punch, this time hitting her hard across her other cheek. Another pang of pain exploded across her face. Despite it, she still glared at the boy in front of her. Her nose held defyingly high.

"Haha you're stubborn, aren't you?" He sneered. "Alright then… throw her on the ground." He commanded. The boy behind her let her go before shoving her unceremoniously onto the ground.

All Ana could do was wrap her arms protectively around her head as they started to mercilessly surround her and kick her from all sides. The first kick hit her in her gut, making her grunt, but she refused to cry out.

"Endure it. You can take it. Be strong!" She silently thought to herself. "This is nothing, you have taken worse!" With each hit her resolve started to vain but still she persisted. She wouldn't show any sign of weakness.

She didn't know how long they continued but eventually, it stopped. Ana looked carefully up, vision painted with black spots. Devon stared her down his nose wrinkled. He spat at her. "Got it now, freak?! Never cross us again or I'll make sure you'll regret it!"

With a sneer, he walked away, leaving Ana alone, bruised, and in pain. She forced herself up. She grunted when she felt her ribs ache. Little by little she forced herself further up. First, she sat then slowly she compelled her body to stand. She supported herself on a nearby pillar. At last, she stood on two shaking feet.

She breathed heavily. Her bangs fell messily into her vision. She felt water gather in her eyes. She wiped them fiercely away.

"Don't cry!"

She forced herself to take the first step.

"Don't cry!"

She moved onward, each step of the way agonizing. She took another. She tumbled to the side her hands holding onto the wall for support. She breathed deeply in. Another step forward.

"Don't cry!"

On and on she marched until finally, she stood in front of a familiar wooden door. Her hands grasped the doorknob, edged with splinters. She trudged inside with downcast eyes. Once the door fell in place behind her all that greeted her was her single empty mattress and the candle beside it.

No one was there to greet her. Only darkness accompanied her.

She fell to her knees, her forehead kissed the cold floor. She curled herself up in a ball. She struggled to swallow the heavy lump building up in her throat. She felt tears threatening to leak out once again.

She bit down heavily on her lower lip. "Don't cry!" She canted to herself for the utmost time. She had to stay strong. If she showed weakness in this place she was sure to die. Only strength mattered here.

But she couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't do it anymore!

"Why?" She asked herself for a dozenth time as her vision blurred. Stears streamed down her cheeks to fall on the floor below. A small puddle formed.

She felt numb, helpless, and hopeless.

"Why?" Why was she all alone? Why was she hated so much? Why did they do this for her? How could they be this cruel? She didn't deserve any of this! None of it! All she was guilty of was being born with somebody else's blood inside her! Nothing else. Why would they do all this just because of that? It was so unfair!

She silently sobbed as tears continued to streak down towards the floor. She curled in more on herself. Her arms hugged her chest tightly.

Why was she even here? In this place, there was nothing for her. What brought her here? How was her life before this? Before any of this…?

She couldn't remember….

"Mom... Dad... Where are you?!"

She silently cried until finally, she passed out on the ground.

The next day she awoke on the ground, eyes still puffy and red. She slowly sat up careful not to strain her body too much. She went to the side of the room, wordlessly opening the door of the drawer built into the wall.

Her clothes had been ruffled up and torn during the scuffle.

Yet as she stood there in front of her cabinet, she found herself hesitating, staring at the assortment of white tunics lining her drawer. White… all of them were white. White, the color of the family. Of this accursed family!

Her hands curled into fists as she felt herself trembling. She was breathing hard. Searing anger spread through her abdomen as she gazed at them. Her arm lashed out grabbing the first piece of clothing harshly out of its confines.

With a scream, she tore it apart, until it lay in pieces on the floor but she wasn't done yet! One by one she split them apart, shredding them with angry cries. She screamed loudly, feeling better with each piece that fell apart.

She must have been very loud because when she was on the last piece of clothing she felt the door to her room open. She had forgotten to lock it. She turned around, in the entrance stood a servant, looking stunned at her.

Without saying a word she split the last piece in half in front of her before facing her fully.

"I need some new clothes," Ana told her. The woman stared at her jaw slack.

"I don't want them in white give me black ones." Ana continued on.

"I…" She started. "I…"

Ana looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please…." Ana said." Just this once." There was still uncertainty in the servant's gaze however she nodded before quickly leaving.

Later she found a stack of black clothes on her mattress. She discarded the last white tunic she had still worn like the rest.

"Hey, you!"

Somebody shouted from Ana's left.

Ana rubbed the sweat from her face with her black sweater that lay on the ground. She wore a black shirt, its size a little too big for her. Additionally, she wore black shorts that ended just under her knees and boots.

Ana stopped to look up annoyed from her kneeling position on the grass. To her side, she discovered a boy at the edge of the clearing. He had long flowing silver-white hair and to no surprise, white eyes.

Sigh, what the hell?

She had made sure that this garden was as remote as possible.

She had "purchased" a wooden sword from the surplus of ones the instructors kept and come here so she could train in peace. And now this guy suddenly showed up. When her gaze settled on him the boy smirked.

He held up his hand pointing his finger at her.

"Fight me!" He declared. His voice echoed across the clearing. He held a wooden sword in his other hand.

Ana stared at him for a while then she put down her sweater. She turned back to her practice.

"No." She dismissed him curtly.

"Huh?" The boy reacted indignantly. "Why not?!"

Ana swung her sword down in a horizontal arc. "I don't want to." She said.

He stomped his foot. "What kind of reasoning is that!" He said.

Ana readied herself for another strike. She struck downwards. "I don't want to. That's all."

She turned her eyes to him stopping her exercise for a moment. "Now, leave me alone. I'm training." She turned to leave. It would be better to find another spot where that idiot couldn't find her again.

She walked off, leaving the boy behind who shouted after her. She ignored him and his ranting. Suddenly, he was silent. Ana felt the blade aiming for her before it could reach her. She turned around, handle in both hands as she blocked the strike that was meant for her side.

She came face to face with a satisfied grin. He pushed his wooden blade against hers making Ana budge.

"Not bad." He commented.

She glared at him, now seriously annoyed. "What're you doing? I said no!"

His grin widened. "Did I agree?" He disconnected from her. He readied another strike this time aiming high from above. "You will fight me even if you don't want to!"

Ana let out a "tch", hovering her blade above her to block again. "I don't want to fight!" His bigger sword crashed heavily into her which made her knees buckle from the force. He was quite strong!

"You blocked that one as well! I was actually trying a little this time! You're as strong as they say." Ana knocked him away, she took a few steps backward,.

"What're you saying?" she asked.

He looked excitedly at her "I heard rumors about your strength and you really seem to live up to your reputation! So let's fight!"

It seemed like she was talking against a brick wall, what the hell was this guy's deal? "I already told you I don't want a fight! Just leave me alone!"

"Come on, don't take the fun out of this! I can tell you're holding back! I won't stop until I'm satisfied!" He charged at her again.

Ana looked indigently at him. She blocked "Fun? There's nothing fun about this! I don't need all of you bastards always coming after me!" She blocked another hit before she angrily swung at him. He warded her off easily holding her in place.

"Huh? What are you saying, you dunce?!" Narrowed white orbs stared her down.

"I said I don't need another one of you bastards coming here for some twisted sense of self-satisfaction!" She took advantage of his momentary distraction, separating her sword from his, ramming her guard into his shoulder.

He was forced back a few spaces. She huffed out, keeping her stance in case he decided to attack another time. He stared at her confusion still evident on his face. "No, I really don't get. I'm just here for a fight, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Now it was her turn to peer at him with narrowed eyebrows. Ana sighed out, forcing herself to calm down. "You're just here to fight me? Nothing else?"

"Yes!" He shouted exasperated. "Why else would I be here?!"

Ana regarded him in silence, looking at him intently. He didn't give off any ill intentions. He seemed genuine as, hard as it was to believe that.

She readied her blade once more taking a basic stand.

"Fine, I'll fight you… but after that, you leave me alone."

The boy grinned, readying himself as well. "Finally! You're on!"

Much, much later Ana found herself with her back on the ground, heaving heavily, the tip of a blade pointed at her face. He huffed equally but his breathing was much more even than hers.

"I guess that's my win!" He panted out.

Ana didn't challenge his statement, simply lying on the ground and catching her breath. She didn't have any strength left, she truly had been beaten. She expected him to leave now, gloating to others about his victory over the demon.

But much to her surprise instead she felt him sitting down beside her.

"You are strong! No one has made me this exhausted since Vicente! And you were fighting back all the time! What do you say, wanna fight again?!" He asked her in excitement.

Ana stared at him with wide eyes in bewilderment. Did he praise her?

"You're being weird again! Why are you staring at me like that?!" The boy asked his head tilted.

She looked away from him. "Nothing…." She said as she sat up.

"What's your name? You never introduced yourself…." She stated as she looked back at him. She didn't expect an answer from him but maybe deep down she hoped he would.

He smirked. "I'm Hoaqin! What's yours?"

She hesitated. "Ana…" She uttered. "It's Ana."

02/02/2022: chapter has been revised and edited.

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter.

And if you enjoyed it very much... maybe leave a like? Or even a review? ;)