Of Light And Shadows

Her head hurt. Everything looked strange. Her eyes throbbed in their sockets and the side of her face was sticky with blood. She was wandering streets she didn't recognise, swaying against the dizziness threatening to topple her. Her feet were bare and her dress was too light for the cold night. She didn't know her name or why she was there. She didn't know where there was.

She was afraid and confused and everything leading up to the moment she found herself wandering the streets was a giant black hole. She didn't know what she looked like. All she knew was that something was pulling her along, a compulsion that propelled her slowly forwards through the freezing night. The wind kicked up and blew long blonde hair over her shoulders.

Okay, so she was blonde. She stored that fact away, clinging to the small sliver of knowledge. She shivered, hugging her arms close to her body as she walked until she couldn't walk anymore.

Eventually she collapsed in front of a low garden wall, huddling up against it in the hope that it might shelter her from the bitter wind blowing through the streets. She wanted to get up and keep going but her head was hurting, her feet were cut and bruised from walking without shoes and her teeth chattered so hard she thought they might break.

She was going to die. She was going to die nameless and alone, with no idea who she was or how she got there. She didn't want to die.

"Are you alright?" The voice that spoke to her was soft and gentle, breaking through her fear like sunrise after a storm. She looked up with wide eyes.

In front of her stood a boy of around fourteen with hair as black as night and eyes of a crimson so deep they almost seemed to glow. His face was soft, his cheeks rounded with youth that was just starting to fade into adulthood. His skin was pale and smooth and he wore a long, dark coat over a red button-up shirt and black trousers. She knew even with no memories that a formal shirt was an odd thing for a fourteen year old boy to wear, and yet it seemed to suit him.

He was tall for his age with strong shoulders like a swimmer. Every inch of him was burned into her mind. She thought that, even if she had all her memories, he would still be the most beautiful thing she'd ever see.

"My name is Lucifer," he said. He was quiet and well-spoken as he introduced himself. "What are you doing out here alone?"

She couldn't make her mouth work right away. The cold had numbed her lips until all she could do was mumble the only word she knew.

"H-help," she managed eventually. Her voice sounded strange and it hurt her head to speak.

Lucifer's brow furrowed and he slipped off that long coat, crouching down to drape it around her shoulders. He stayed crouched in front of her and she found herself staring at him, this strange person that had come to save her. The first person she could remember ever meeting. He smelled like sweet spices and mint.

"What's your name?" he asked. She felt her eyebrows pull together and he cocked his head. "You don't know?" Hot tears welled up in her eyes so he took her hand in both of his and smiled gently. He was wearing gloves and the leather felt warm and soft against her frozen skin. "Don't cry. It's going to be alright."

"Help," she whimpered again. He squeezed her fingers, realising that she didn't know how to say anything else.

"You're safe now."

He helped her to her feet, then saw the state of them and thought better of it. She was small and painfully thin so he lifted her easily, cradling her against his chest as he turned. She clutched his shirt as tightly as her numb fingers would let her, not wanting to let go of this warm, safe person that had been so kind to her.

"She alright?" asked another voice. The tone was caustic but there was a warmth underneath that made her want to see the face it belonged to. The girl turned her head away from the red fabric to see two other boys standing nearby.

The taller of the two had vibrant auburn hair that waved gently over his forehead, falling into a pair of violet eyes. The second had tousled silvery-white hair that was pushed back from his face in an adorable mess. His eyes were amber and full of worry.

"She will be. She doesn't remember anything, not even her name." The silver-haired boy walked closer and peered at her. She watched him warily. Suddenly a beautiful grin split his cheeks and he stuck his hand out.

"The name's Mammon." She took his hand hesitantly and he shook it. "Nice to meet you, shortstack." She smiled back tentatively before returning to clutching Lucifer's shirt and burying her face in his chest. She felt his arms tighten around her and knew she was safe.

"I expected to find one of us. How strange," the other boy with the violet eyes said. He smiled at her. "My name is Belphegor. You can call me Bell."

"...Bell," she repeated. He nodded, his grin widening. She turned to the silver-haired boy. "Mammon." He waggled his fingers at her before shoving them into the pockets of his jeans. She leaned her head back to peer up at her saviour. He looked back at her, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Louie," she said. He chuckled.

"Lucifer," he corrected.

"Louie," she insisted, shaking her head. He raised an eyebrow before smiling properly, revealing two pointed incisors.

"Louie it is then."

"I think we should call you Jia," Bell mused, studying her. "It suits you."

"...Jia?" She said it slowly, testing how it sounded, and then she smiled. "Jia," she repeated, nodding.

"I'm gonna stick with shortstack if that's alright with you," Mammon grinned. "Now let's get home. I'm starving." Lucifer nodded and Jia watched in wonder as a swirling vortex of black opened up in front of them.

Somewhere in her mind she registered that she should be afraid, that she should be utterly terrified, but she felt perfectly safe as she was carried through the shadows into a world she'd never seen before.

A/N: Hey everyone, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I really hope you'll choose to continue reading! Feel free to leave a review with what you thought about it or a heart if you enjoyed it!