I died. I died several times actually. Each time I did, one of those three sadists would revive me, somehow, and the screaming and pain would start all over again. The two medical exorcists had the decency to at least look uncomfortable at doing such horrid things to another living creature. The guard, however, seemed to enjoy it...

'A demon's whore,' he continued to call me every time the two were ready to give it a break. I was nothing to pity as I'd willingly given myself over to "one of them".

Granted, I'd only heard some of these snippets of conversation when I'd go in and out of consciousness. It felt like hours had gone by before the machine finally indicated the process was complete with a series of shrill beeps.

'I've seen you before,' a deep, dark voice echoed in my head. Curiosity had me straining to open my eyes—now a deep, honey-gold. I froze at the sight staring right back at me, but, strangely, I wasn't afraid. Just surprised.

You don't come face-to-face with Satan, himself, every day.

He was different than I imagined him to be. He had possessed Father Fujimoto last, so I expected his image to greet me. What stood proudly before me, however, was no father of the priesthood and exalted Paladin...but a handsome young male with a cold air about him. No laughter—not even a hint of a smile—no crazed gleam in his eye, nothing. He kind of reminded me of a fanart I'd once seen: past-the-shoulder-length white hair, alabaster-like skin, an effeminate face, a slender body, and black robes. His eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue as Rin's. And, just like all demons I'd seen thus far with human bodies, Satan had a tail, fangs, claws, and large, pointed ears.

"Satan?" It wasn't really a question. I, somehow, knew it was the King of Demons, himself. No question. He looked so familiar...

"I told you she was a demon's wench." A hard slap to my face snapped my head forcibly to the side. A whimper of pain escaped my lips and I tugged hard at my imprisoned arms. Every movement, every breath I took, it all hurt. Hell! "Hurt" couldn't even properly begin to describe the unbearable torment my bruised and battered body was undergoing right now!

Satan growled—actually snarled—at the male's actions. Normally, such actions from someone I'd just met—disregarding of the fact that they're the Devil, Himself—would surprise me. But, currently, I was so far gone that it hardly made an impression.

"Samael..." I shuddered, his real name the last breath on my chapped lips before I went limp against the chains binding me to the wall.

"Leave it!" my uncaring captor demanded when the other two rushed forward to check my pulse. "Orders are to leave it overnight. If it's still dead tomorrow morning, then we'll dispose of its carcass."

"What an uncouth human," Satan spoke in a disinterested way, watching as the three left and locked the cell door behind them. He then turned back to me. I could hear his footsteps, see his figure, breathe his scent in. All of this, despite being "dead". "Your body is in Assiah," the white-haired demon-god explained as if he could hear my thoughts, "but your soul is in Gehenna."

"Why?" I managed to speak, no longer feeling my heart beat against my ribcage or see the cell my body had died in. "What are these memories I have? I had friends who were demons? I've been to Gehenna before? I've met Mephisto before? And you?" I looked up at him from beneath colorless, white lashes, tears threatening to fall at the amount of frustration and stress that had been eating at me for weeks. "What am I? What the hell am I?!"

My dismay must have amused the prideful devil. He smirked at my cries, not unlike a certain time-meddling son of his.

"What are you?" he repeated, laughter now bubbling into his once-emotionless voice. "A child of the one who left the Garden. I always expected you to come back."

"Child? Garden?" I whispered, confused. A flash of white hair and golden eyes passed through my memories. A tanned slender hand shattering the blade of a knife without getting cut; that same hand silencing the mad ravings of my father; a gentle smile... All of it brought to mind a parent with a loving heart I'd always yearned for but never got...

Or so I'd believed.

"I do hope he explains things to you soon," Satan gave an exasperated sigh when he approached me, palm stretching over my face. "It just won't do to have someone so clueless in the family." With that, a flash of blue and I was out like a light.

Family?