A Story Best , Left Untold
"Mom… do demons exist?"
The little girl's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, as the night air hung heavy with the scent of burning wood and old secrets.
Her mother glanced down, her hand gently brushing away a stray lock of hair from her daughter's forehead. A tender smile ghosted her lips .... One tinted with sorrow.
"Yes, sweetie… theydoexist." Her voice was a murmur, laced with things unsaid. "Whydoyouask?"
"I told my classmates I believe in demons… but they laughed. They said I'm silly. That I live in an imaginary world."
A flicker of pain passed through the mother's eyes. She cradled the child's face with both hands, her voice dipping into a grave, soothing tone.
"Oh, sweetheart… don't be sad." She let out a faint sigh. "Angels and demons have existed since the dawn of creation. But nowadays… they wear the faces of humans."
"What do you mean, Mama?"
The woman's gaze shifted to the flickering candle on the nearby table, its flame dancing wildly as though recoiling from the weight of her words.
"You'll understand, my love." She gently squeezed the child's hand. "Some people… seem cruel, heartless, shadows you fear. Yet, deep inside, they're tender souls .... broken angels hiding behind the mask of a demon. And some… some appear kind, pure, and harmless… but beneath the surface, they're monsters no one could imagine."
"How will I ever know the difference, Mama?"
The woman hesitated, eyes clouding with memories she dared not speak of. She reached into the folds of her cloak and withdrew a necklace ... a delicate chain bearing a half-moon pendant of pale silver, etched with ancient, almost invisible runes.
"When you grow, you'll learn." She fastened it around the child's neck, the cold metal kissing the little girl's skin. "Take this, my darling. Even if I'm not beside you… this will protect you. It's your mother's blessing, my lucky charm."
The child smiled, tiny fingers clutching the pendant. "Yesh, Mama. I'll always wear it."
"Good girl."
A pause.
"Mama… can I ask you another question?"
"Of course, my love. Anything."
"You said demons and angels wear human faces now… but in those stories, do angels have wings? And demons… horns?"
A sudden, soft laugh broke the tension. "Oh, no, sweetheart. Those are tales men crafted. The truth is older… far more complicated."
"A story, then?" The child's eyes gleamed. "Tell me, Mama. Before bed. Please?"
The woman smiled, smoothing the little one's hair. "You're my brave little one… and may the holy angels always keep you safe."
"I'm not sleepy yet. Tell me!"
"Alright…"
The fire dimmed, shadows curling along the hard walls like waiting ghosts. The mother's voice dropped to a hushed whisper.
"Long ago… in the celestial realm, two tribes existed. The tribe of the Holy Light Angels known as the Light Tribe… and the Dark Angels lived in a tribe called as The Shadow Tribe. Neither friends nor foes ... They were bound by ancient laws. The greatest of them… forbade love between their kind."
The child shivered. "Why?"
"Because… love between light and darkness could unravel the heavens. One night, a Light Angel lost her way… and a Dark Angel found her. Guided her home. In their secret meetings, affection bloomed. A forbidden bond. Names whispered only in the dark."
"What were their names, Mama?"
The woman hesitated, a tear glimmering in her lashes. "The Light Angel… her name was Rosella."
The girl's breath caught. "Like me?"
A bittersweet smile curved her mother's lips. "Perhaps. Perhaps fate likes to weave its patterns this way."
"And the Dark Angel?"
"Lucien."
The fire's flame flickered as if recoiling from the name itself.
"They fell in love. Even knowing the punishment. And one night, they met under a blood-lit sky, exchanging their most precious gifts."
The mother's hand brushed the necklace around the girl's throat. "Anecklace. A beautiful silver pendant. They both had one. Each bearing half a moon ....one of light, one of shadow. Together… forming a perfect, cursed whole."
"Like mine?"
"Yes, darling. Yours… was hers."
The little girl's fingers clutched it tighter.
"But… what happened to them?"
The woman's voice hardened. "Betrayed. Watched. Captured. Rosella was slain by her own kind. Lucien… shattered. He unleashed chaos, threatening to tear the heavens apart."
The child trembled. "That's… awful."
"Before she died, Rosella whispered, 'Lucien Please, don't hurt them.... No matter how much cruel or ruthless they have become they're still my family.. my tribe ... Please don't hurt them ... If you hurt them they will hurt you and my soul would be in pain...I'm leaving you in this world but my love ... We will surely be together one day ... I will always love you. My soul will always stay by your side ... Till death do us apart and it has come to me. In another universe Lucien ? ...(She breathed her last)
Lucien screamed and the scream itself sounded like a warning. That scream was heard through the gates of heaven. But grief darkened Lucien's heart. His wrath scorched the skies. The tribes sealed his powers, yet his fury could not be caged. Until, at last… he took his own life to follow her into the void."
A pause.
"And with their end came a curse ... one that bleeds into this world even now. 'Be careful of whom you love… for love between a heartless soul and a pure one can never be.'"
Silence settled, thick as fog.
"Mama… Why was I named Rosella ? Is it because if I fall in love one day… I will die as well ?"
A tremor passed through the mother's voice. "Oh, my sweet child… don't be afraid. Don't fill your heart with shadows. You'll understand the curse… when the time comes."
"What do you mean Mama ? Am I Rosella ? The curse will come for me ? Answer me Mama."
"My dear .. you were named as Rosella Maren because of your beauty , your delicacy. You yourself are not less than a light angel sent in the form of a human. As for the curse.... My sweetheart... You'll get all your answers when you grow up.. understand ? For now that's all I can tell you."
The little one yawned, sleep tugging at her lids. "Okay, Mama… I love you."
"And I love you too, my little angel."
She waited until Rosella's breathing steadied, a fragile rhythm in the heavy room.
Then quietly, she left the bedside.
In the dim light of the mirror, the woman coughed ... bright blood staining her hand.
Her reflection met her gaze, eyes heavy with secrets.
"I wish I could stay longer… Even if you were never mine… it never felt that way. Forgive me Rosella my dear. I failed to answer your questions. However my time with you is too short. I don't know when I shall perish. It's too early for you to learn this but I'll make sure to seal the memory and the truth shall unravel upon you slowly....."
She leaned against the wall, her voice a broken whisper.
"You'll understand everything, my little one… when the curse comes for you."
To be continued...
Chapter 2...