......................

...----------------...

...My eyes could only see complete darkness. Rather, I was in complete darkness and could not feel anything. I could not see anything. I felt as if I was in a very deep well extending to infinity....

Suddenly I heard a faint moaning sound. It sounded sad.. Then it started to become clearer little by little until it became somewhat clear to my ears. I could hear the sound of someone sniffling.. It seemed like he was crying. The sound was of a man. For some reason I couldn't open my eyes to be able to see him. But I managed to find out. His voice was rough, but it also sounded distinct, and his tone of voice had a sadness in it that my ears were surprisingly able to distinguish. The voice became very close now. He was addressing someone. I heard the voice of the other person, who was also a man. The sad man was saying to him in a crying, pleading tone.

“H...please save her, please..I will do anything, huh, please.”

"..."

'Oh I feel like crying for this person, he's really suffering but who does he want to save?' From the painful tone of his voice, it seemed that she was someone dear to him.

Then I heard the other man answer him.

"I can save her, but you must pledge your loyalty to me, Lucifer."

'..huh?'

'Lucifer...why does this name sound so familiar to me?' Where did you hear it?'.

I began to feel unknown feelings flowing in my heart, feelings mixed between nostalgia, sadness, longing, and even regret!

'Huh..why do I feel this way?'

I heard someone else's voice say

"You must declare your loyalty to the young master, Lucifer."

'Why do they insist on his declaration of loyalty?'

After a short silence, the man called

 "Lucifer" spoke and said.

“Okay, I will do it. I will pledge my loyalty to you.”

'Hey...what's all this for? '.

Before I knew what was going to happen, their voices suddenly disappeared, and I was no longer able to hear anything, until I heard someone calling me.

“Lily, wake up. Come on.”

***

I finally opened my eyes to the bright sunlight that flooded my room with its warm rays. My eyes gradually began to get used to the vision little by little until it became clear. Then I looked to my right and saw my mother looking at me with a beautiful and warm smile and said.

“Good morning Lily, did you sleep well?”

I smiled at her and said:

"Yes ".

“Okay then, get out of bed, wash your face, and come to breakfast. I’ve prepared something you and Peter like.”

I nod my head.

"Okay, mom."

My mother gently patted my head and placed a kiss on my cheek before leaving the room.

I kept sitting on the bed remembering that strange dream and the voices of those people I heard in my dream last night.

'Who are they, and why can't I see their faces?' What is the story of this loyalty that they insist on? And most importantly, what is the meaning of this dream?

I didn't want to hurt my head by thinking too much. I got out of bed, opened the door and went out. I washed my face with cold, refreshing water. It was really refreshing, especially since we are in the summer and the weather is very hot. Then I dried my face with a towel and combed my wavy silver hair, leaving it to fall freely on my back. Then I wore a light and simple summer dress in light pink.

I went to the breakfast table and found my family eating breakfast. They greeted me when they saw me and I greeted them in the same way. Then I sat on the chair and started eating. It was a delicious breakfast, especially the honey and butter pancakes, my favorite and my little brother Peter's, which my mother prepared, of course.

While I was enjoying eating, Peter suddenly stopped eating, turned to me, and said in his sweet, childish voice:

“Lily, listen, after I woke up today, and before my mother called me for breakfast, I went out to the garden after seeing a beautiful and colorful butterfly flying. I quickly went towards it in order to catch it and show it to you, but...”

Peter was silent and lowered his head sadly. I tilted my head slightly in a questioning manner and said inquiringly:

"but what?".

Peter remained silent and did not speak.

I turned my head to my parents with a worried look on my face that said, 'What's wrong with Peter?' My parents reassured me with a smile, proof that there was no problem to worry about. Then I returned my gaze to my brother after he spoke and said in a tearful but gentle voice and pursed his lips childishly.

“...But a frog with a big belly swallowed the poor beautiful butterfly.”

“..huh?”

I stared stupidly at my brother, who was speaking in a serious manner that made me laugh while I understood what he said, or in other words, for the idea to reach my mind. Then I heard my parents laughing suddenly, so I looked at them strangely, my idiot expression still on my face, and I asked them while pointing with my thumb at my dear brother.

“What?... What is this child saying?”

My mother burst out laughing and her eyes filled with tears, as did my father, who started hitting his fist on the table trying to control his fit of laughter. I kept looking at them in astonishment, then I laughed with them, so Peter looked at us with incomprehension and said.

"why are you lauphing?".

I answered him:

"That's because you're so cute ^^"

My brother smiled and laughed with us. The breakfast was wonderful, or rather spending time with my family was the best in the world.

**

...----------------...

After eating lunch, I went out to play

with my brother in the field, while my father went to work cultivating the fields and planting plants. We lived in the countryside, far from the city. “Huh, the country air is really refreshing,” I said, as I walked and opened my arms.

Most of the rural people, like my father, worked in agriculture and agriculture, from which we earned our daily bread. However, the agricultural lands we worked on did not belong to us. Rather, there were people who I once heard my father talk about who were arrogant and controlling these lands and called them “the big landlords.” These people monopolized most of the lands for themselves, while simple people like us almost only owned half of these lands.

I know it's weird that a 10 year old like me would say things like this that only adults like my parents or other people would worry about,But the conditions we are going through force us to adapt to them little by little.

In the evening, just before sunset, my brother and I entered the house after my mother called us. I went to the kitchen to help her while Peter went out again to play with his little ball.

At sunset, my father returned home with Peter holding his ball in his right hand while his left hand held my father’s hand. My mother and I said hello.

"welcome back ".

My father nodded to us, smiling, then Peter shouted:

“Mom, I'm hungry!”

“Okay, go with your father to wash your hands, and you will find the food ready and waiting for you.” (My mom)

Peter laughed and said jokingly

“Haha, will the food really wait for me, mom?”

My father and I laughed at my brother’s funny question, and my father answered with a smile

“Of course the food will wait for you! And do you dare not wait for our Peter?”

My brother nodded with a smile and said confidently:

" This is correct!".

My mother laughed sweetly and gently pinched his cheek, teasing him

“You little brat, well come quickly.”

" Okay!".

My brother nodded enthusiastically and quickly ran to wash his hands. My father looked at my mother and asked her

“What’s for dinner tonight, honey?”

My mother hit my father's shoulder lightly, smiling, and said to him

“You'll know what it is after you wash your hands.”

Dad made a funny angry face and replied

“I am not a little child".

My mother sighed and smiled at him.

“Well, you're not a child, sorry, forgive me.”

My father closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, then crossed his arms across his chest and said to her:

“Okay, I will allow you, but on one condition.”

“Okay, sir, what is your condition then?” My mother answered, still smiling.

My father approached her and whispered something in her ear. I couldn't hear him, but for some reason my mother's face turned red and her facial expressions suddenly changed to anger. She elbowed my father on his chest and he groaned faintly.

“It seems to me that someone is not going to eat dinner tonight.” My mother spoke, and a mysterious smile spread across her mouth as she looked at my father with a threatening look that caught his eye. Then she turned and went towards the kitchen without turning around.

"..."

“...Dad,” I spoke, and my father turned to me.

" What?"

"..can I ask you? ". My dad nodded

“Of course, my little one.”

“What did you say to my mother that made her angry?”

My father was confused and did not seem to expect me to ask him a question like this. He smiled nervously while scratching his face in embarrassment.

“...Oh...that's really...no big deal...”

He seemed to be evading the answer, so his response was not convincing to me.

" Truly?". I asked again, and he nodded “yes” to me, then changed the subject and asked me:

"Aren't you hungry, Lily?" Thinking about it, I'm feeling really hungry, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.

“Oh..yes, I’m really hungry.” I said frankly, and my father smiled and said:

"Then let's go to the table." I nodded to him and we went to prepare the table, then everyone sat down and we started eating.

After dinner, I collected the dirty dishes with my brother, and my father offered to wash them all on my mother's behalf. He also went to make tea in an attempt to appease her. Then we sat chatting and telling stories all night, listening at ease. After the evening ended, we both went to sleep while thinking about tomorrow.

Late at night... I heard the sound of something, or maybe I was dreaming. It was the sound of people walking. I was able to hear it as I left the window of my room open. This sound was getting closer and closer to our house... from my ears... then...

(Strong knocking sound) *Taf-Taf-Taf!*

(Strong knocking sound) *Taf-Taf-Taf!*

...----------------...

...I don't know how I got up unconsciously from my bed and ran quickly towards the door. I ran to my parents like any child, to find out what was going on....

When I arrived, I found them standing, looking at the door with concern and suspicion, and with them was Peter, who kept yawning and rubbing his eyes, asking my mother, who was holding a lighted candle in her hand, in a sleepy voice:

(Yawning sound) “Ha-ha-mom-ha-what’s going on?”

..."Hush". She said this while placing her index finger on her mouth, as a signal for Peter to be silent, then she looked at my father with looks of concern and confusion, trying to inquire of him about the source of this knocking at night, but he shrugged his shoulders as evidence of his lack of knowledge....

The knocking stopped as soon as we arrived, and it was as if Al-Tariq had sensed our arrival. The calm was disturbed, so he turned to my mother to ask her... when I was about to open my mouth... suddenly...

*broken into*!

...****************...

When I was about to open my mouth to ask my mother...suddenly...

(Sound of storming) *Buff! *

The door hit the wall violently and made a frightening sound. My body trembled and I closed my eyes automatically.

Then I quickly opened them and saw three people. They were large men. The first of them was wearing a black eye patch that covered one eye, and the letter “S” was engraved on it. "Red as blood. The second had a scar that extended from his forehead to his left eyeball, which was completely white. As for the last, he had a strange drawing in the shape of a snake on his neck, and his hair was black and disheveled. He wasThese men were looking at us with a look that did not bode well at all, then he looked at me and my brother, one of them who had the scar.

He kept looking alternately at both Peter and me with frightening looks that made us tremble and disturbed. As if he sensed our fear, he quickly showed an evil smile, showing his big, ugly yellow teeth, which increased the shivers that ran through us, so my brother and I clung to my mother’s dress out of fear.

They stared at us for what seemed like an eternity. I glanced at both my father and mother to see their reactions, and I noticed expressions of worry and fear written on their faces. Then, after a brief silence, my father suddenly spoke with courage that he did not know where it came from.

“W-Who are you?”

After my father’s question to them, we heard another voice. It was not from any of these people, but rather it was from another man who answered my father’s question:

“You don't need to know them, Eric.” (The father's name is 'Eric'). The man said in a sarcastic voice, then he appeared from behind the men, who stepped aside so he could pass. He moved forward and I could see him well.

When I saw him, I was shocked! I recognized his face, yes...and how. Forget this face..?! He is Uncle Patrick. I remember well that he would usually come to our house to talk to my father about something, and I would watch them laugh together. Uncle Patrick would even play with me and Peter sometimes, and give me some candy bars secretly from my father. He was a nice person. We were all happy to see him and my parents welcomed him when he came. But why is he here at this time and with these scary men?

I looked at my father and found him surprised to see Uncle Patrick and asked him:

“Patrick? What brings you here at this time? Is something wrong?” My father seemed surprised and nervous at the same time, and so was my mother. None of us expected “such a surprise visit” from Uncle Patrick at this hour of the night.

He kept looking at my father, then lowered his head slightly, closed his eyes, and sighed softly, then smiled and raised his head again. His smile turned into a strange and mysterious smile and he looked at us with a look that I had never seen in him before. It is true that I was a young child at the time and was not very aware, but I can distinguish a person’s smile with great accuracy and know what he is feeling at that moment, like I can know Whether the person is nervous, afraid, embarrassed, sad, etc.

It means that I have such an amazing ability to understand the feelings of others well without them speaking, and I did not tell my parents about this ability that I possess because they would not believe me anyway. Maybe it's not a unique ability and could just be something normal, but I like it.

But frankly, what I saw in Uncle Patrick's eyes and the feelings I felt were completely contradictory to the smile on his lips. These feelings...they somehow never feel "good", not at all, so to speak.

I cannot describe it, not because I am unable to do so, but because I do not want to believe it. It cannot be from him. No… He is not this type of person… Perhaps the fault is on my part, perhaps I did not know her well. Suddenly, “Uncle Patrick” spoke in a calm and uncomfortable tone of voice and said to my father:

"…Eric….did you know, my dear friend, the old saying 'Emotions make us fools….'

My father looked at him with incomprehension and worry and said:

"…eh..? But what's the connection-

And what follows to complete his sentence... He suddenly fell to the ground on his back after his eyes bulged out, and his blood flowed profusely...