Chapter 0

YEAR: 2004

I'm finally doing it! I can do it. I can protect my daughter. I looked at her as she was laying in my arms. I was running as fast as I could. I was going to pay for my sins and I will let her pay for everything she did. But my daughter? She was innocent. She has always been. I was not going to make her into a monster. I will save her from that night.

That deadly night when everything changed...

FLASHBACK 4 YEARS AGO

"Honey, I'm home," the woman said, as she opened the door. She was excitedly looking straight ahead. Her dark brown eyes were searching the shadow of the most beautiful figure, Allan -her husband-. And her gaze stopped when she saw him. She hurriedly started pacing toward her spouse. After she wore off her long black boots and had put them aside neatly on the shelf. She started walking gently toward her husband. She wore those shoes like it was raining outside. When it was just mild weather. The weather has never been ideal, consisting of all the snow and hurricanes, but today it was. The whole day, it was quite sunny despite it being October. In typical conditions it would have been raining or just cold. But even the sky was celebrating their anniversary today.

She ran towards the east side of the corner of their bakery. It was built just beside their bungalow. Her spouse didn't like going anywhere far from their home. So he built the bakery that was attached to their house. She had previously seen his shadow and now she could see his handsome face. His face looked like it was crafted by God himself. His gentle hazel stare and light brown skin tone always gave such a texture that every woman would throw herself to him. He was not that tall. But still, he had to lower his gaze a little to meet hers.

"What're you doing?" She asked in a calm tone. She was flickering her eyes showing tiredness. Despite the dim dark circles that were making their way on her face, she was happy. She was standing just beside her husband, while he was putting strawberry syrup on the cake. The cake was baked right now. And it could be seen from the hot air that was coming out of the flourished dough.

"This is for you," he said in a deep tone. His voice was profound. It had a serious yet gentle expression in it. That just made people listen to him. But his voice doesn't seem to give dominance when he talks. It just gave a warm, alive feeling.

"You know I don't like sweets and it's the night," she calmly replied. She was shrugging gently and was copping her face inside his broad shoulders. After some attempts of his pouts and innocent face, she ate a little. And was quite fascinated by its taste. She savoured the taste by chewing slowly. And feeling the essence as the sweet air got into her nostrils.

"I made it because I know you like red." He smiled, while gently stroking her hair strands. That got loose from her bun. She was looking at the cake in front. Or maybe at the knife which was just beside the cake all wet in strawberry syrup. But looked like something else to her, as she smirked.

"Yep, I love red," she replied. Her tone was gentle. After a long session of kisses which were supplementary after a long tiring day. And always helps in building a more harmonious relationship between them, she left.

She walked her way out from the back door and entered their home. She would come late at night sometimes. Some junctures did lead his husband to question his sweet wife but he kept quiet. For them, trust was the first time they promised. And he could never second-guess her wife because she was the most perfect woman he had ever met.

He still remembered the day. The day when his mother told him that his arranged marriage is being done. With a woman he had never met. He didn't seem to find it annoying. Because he knew his mother was a better judge of character than him. And when he first met Mia, it was confirmed. There were rumours about the woman he was going to meet. It started when the news first spread about their fateful meeting. Many would come just to let him know that his future wife was a mental retard. Some people even came with evidence to tell him how psycho his future wife is. But they all seemed baseless rumours in front of the woman he met. Her beautiful dark brown eyes -when stricken by sunlight- was the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. Her glassy figure and small waist and her light curly hair seem to perfectly mix with her creamy skin. She was not just a beauty, she was a beauty inside out. He knew everything requires a logical explanation. So all those rumours must have been aroused by something. And that something was confirmed when he confronted her. She was a sibylline person with antisocial personality disorder. And that was the reason for their disastrous meeting. Every time he launched a conversation, she would defend herself with surprised, pleasant or some strange gaze. That was followed by several 'umms'. But as time passed the relationship grew closer. Still, some sceptical things weren't able to soften but he still chose to trust her. Because there was no way his innocent wife would hide something from him. Wife who would smile seeing the birds. Someone who cries while seeing the poor in agony. Someone who was sensitive to a fault. Even after 2 years of undeniable trust and love, there was something hidden deep in her eyes. Something that was hard to comprehend. Something which was there from the start but still, he couldn't figure out what it was .

After doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, he kept the cake in the fridge. He made his direction toward the bedroom.

Now he had changed his attire and was wearing his trousers. Which were held a little high from his feet to be more comfortable. He wore a plain white shirt because this was the night of their 2nd anniversary. And he knew how much his wife liked white on him. Because it will show his muscular body and his sweats will just increase the tension and proximity. He laid down just opposite his woman and saw her as she was fast asleep. He planned more than this. But still, he was satisfied with his wife around him. He stroked her gently while she was asleep. He was closing his eyes gradually and too fell asleep.

After merely 2 hours, there was a loud sound which was heard making him hiss in annoyance. He didn't open his eyes. But tried to pat the opposite side to relax his wife. It was just a sound. But he wanted to calm his wife down because he knew how much she hated noises. But when his palms were met with the silk white sheet texture, he jerkily opened his eyes. He cleared his mind and got up, just to see his wife, not with him.

A sudden suspension started lurking in his mind. All those rumours which always seemed groundless were trying to play with his mind. There were some things that he didn't understand about his wife. Like a specialist can't get enough money to buy the most fashionable clothes and get the most branded shoes. But his wife wore them here and there. He had seen his wife treating the patients with very little money or no money. So those shoes and clothes never made sense. But still, there was something in his mind, perhaps something, holding him to trust her. As she would always say, "I want a perfect family." And a person dreaming about family is not untrustworthy.

He hurried toward the balcony. As soon as he got out, a flash of air slapped him right in the face. The balcony was just a little high from the ground. So he tied himself up a little to get a better view. He began to look for the familiar figure because calculating the time and everything, she should be around. He was always sensitive to voices so if his wife had vacated, he would have heard. And the recent voice was just now.

After continuously looking here and there, he saw someone. Someone was getting faded away in the sunken alley and he didn't need to second guess who it was.

He wore his shoes as fast as he could. And ran outside of his house not giving any attention to the security of himself or the house. Their neighbourhood was one of the most peaceful neighbourhoods of Hans. Ontario has always been a dark province. But their neighbourhood was surprisingly always quiet. He followed the same alleys which were previously followed by his wife. And his pace was quite fast so he didn't get left behind. The alley was as quiet as the forest at night. The moon was blossoming at its best and the light was striking the surroundings. But still, it was not adequate to lighten the dark thoughts he was having as he followed his wife.

After some minutes of waiting, he chose to get to the place where Mia trudged. A warehouse that looked like a perfect haunted house being broken from some sides. And its door looked like it's never been unlocked when his wife had just gotten in. Despite the flickering lights which could be seen inside one room, the house gave a sight of a place where nothing alive should be placed. It was quite a surprise for him to see his wife here. But the more curious thought was why she was there.

It would be wrong to say he wasn't scared. But his curiosity was way more. He stepped in, slowing his pace and walking so gently so that no one could hear him.

After passing through several rooms, he stopped in front of the room. Where the light was lit. His wife could be seen from the small hole in the door. He stepped closer to see what was happening.

That night when he chose to follow her, it was the biggest mistake for him. And he couldn't realise it in time.

"Get the heart out. We are going to make it big this time." She chuckled, as she looked at a young boy. Who looked like he had just hit puberty, hardly 14 years old. His eyes were sucked deep inside his skin and his colour looked like it was fading every second. He was barely wearing clothes. And he just looked like a skeleton with some muscles on his hands. Her words spitting poison and her eyes were more venomous than anything he had ever seen. Her dark brown orbs couldn't hide her dark thoughts today. And she kept chuckling while saying 'hmm' and 'umm' from time to time.

"Are you sure?" The guy who was wearing surgeon clothes and looked like a veneer asked. His hair was tied back while he looked at the kid. Who was sleeping not knowing what was happening.

"Do I have to say it again?" She asked him while furrowing her brows. Her voice being unusually deep and serious.

Without hesitation, the surgeon lunged a deep needle in the boy's chest. And as soon as the boy was going to scream with pain, Mia pulled an injection from the side. And held it inside him. The boy was unconscious again and the needle kept going inside. Until the blood started to splatter unevenly. After mere minutes the surgeon got the heart out and the boy? He was as pale as ice. His eyes closed and he was there lying helplessly. While the woman kept looking at the heart and kept smiling. She had already risen after injecting the boy. She didn't let even a single drop of blood into her clothes. As not to get dirty or smelly. Bit by bit, the blood was splashing all around the room and the smell was slowly surrounding the room.

That situation was something he never believed he would witness. He was sure his eyes had betrayed him. And that it was a nightmare that will end soon. But he couldn't seem to wake up. He was trembling not of fear but trust, his trust was crumbled. And the thing he witnessed was not something he was able to accept.

As he tried to get a hold of something, just something he could sink in. He could wish for the ground to open and let him in or the air. Or to just fly him somewhere away from here. But he forgot how to wish. He forgot how to walk, how to turn away. All he did was gaze toward the demon in front of him. Who was dusting her clothes just to make sure they look graceful.

Something screeched which made him slap his mind to where he is. It was a glass that made the tentative sound. And before he could do anything he saw his wife gazing at

Him. An intense gaze that was not hiding anything. She was just waiting for him to do something. He didn't do anything because he couldn't do anything. He just stared at her, returning her gaze which made her smirk. She started striding toward him in small graceful steps. As soon as his consciousness got a grab on his body, he started thrusting toward the door. He wanted to get out, just to get out of this place. Because he couldn't breathe, it was suffocating. But his steps juggled and he froze in his place. When he heard his wife. "I'm pregnant, Allan. You're leaving your child deserted," she said. Her voice was calm and collected.

AFTER 8 MONTHS

He ran and clumsily opened the door. Which made him fall on the side slightly. He hurriedly got up and balanced himself. He was wearing a sweatshirt and slacks. He had never dressed himself since that day. That day, he got to see the true colours of his wife.

That day he swore to himself that he would let he had the thought to kill his wife. Or to let her be in jail but he was selfish and he knew that. He couldn't bring himself to share the reality of his wife with others. It was not because of self-esteem or shame. He just wanted to protect his unborn child. After 8 months of sleepless nights and struggling nightmares, he finally got to see the light.

The little child who was just as small as to fit right in his arms. She was sitting in the hands of the demon. She had dark orbs. Same dark orbs which made him spit up but he remained there looking at the child. Who was observing her surroundings. There was something different about the child. Even though she had brown eyes, the brown eyes were quite light in front of the demon's eyes.

Mia kept staring at the new-born child and kept admiring its eyes. "It's a girl," Mia said, calmly. Still not diverting her attention from the child.

Allan could feel himself struggling to keep up with all this. There was a tentative possibility that the girl would just end up like the demon. But her eyes were so innocent that they kept driving Allan to a new and better tomorrow.

When Mia started to stroke her, the girl started crying. And her tears were so pretty

that they looked like they had gotten kissed by the sun. Her voice also had a fury in it. Something Mia didn't like.

"Get this shit off from me," Mia annoyingly said. She grabbed the girl from her lap. She passed her to him. Allan was amused, scared and pleased to see the little tendon fitting right in his hands.

For Allan, it was a new dawn. Because he had a new mission to do from now. He had to protect his child, his little cutie. Even though she had the same creamy skin, it was decorated with cappuccino coloured orbs. Mia had eyes that seemed like a latte. But the little girl had eyes that were welcomed by cream on them making them light and more delicate to sunlight. Her voice was just like Mia. But Allan had never heard Mia crying so he couldn't comprehend if it was hers.

In those 8 months, today was the dawn where he finally smiled. The little girl held his finger with her hand. And snuggled to him not crying now.

"Elena," he mumbled. And then looked toward his wife who wasn't interested in her daughter at all.

"Elena Tamlin," he repeated. On which his wife gave a nod. Like she couldn't wait to throw them out. Allan still couldn't believe the fact that a demon could give birth to an angel. But some part of his mind, perhaps some part was glad he didn't run to the police in those months. He wouldn't have this angel in his hands if he had done otherwise.

AFTER 4 YEARS.

"DAD, Where is my cake!" The 4-year-old shrugged, and then pouted sadly. Her hair was slit cleanly into a ponytail. And her legs were getting warmed from the blazing sun. All other body parts were hidden under her full sleeve shirt and skirt.

"Okay, here it is." Allan gently picked his daughter and placed her on the slip. Where previously he had baked bread. He then took a pastry out from the fridge and then passed it on to her.

"Cherry sauce?," she asked, parting her soft plump lips while gouging her eyes out.

"Umm," Allan pretended to think, "What is cherry sauce?'' But after some screams from his only daughter, he gave in. He pastured the cake with cherry sauce.

"Why do you like cherry sauce so much?" He asked. He was patting her daughter who was now sitting in his lap. "I don't like cherry sauce, I like the red colour." As soon as she said this sentence, he was frozen in his place. His veins tensed up causing him to cough a little. But he remained calm.

"Why do you like the colour red?" He asked while parting his lips into a thin smile. The smile which could easily be read fake by his wife.

"Because mom likes it," Elena replied while chewing the cake. The cake was sitting around her lips. And some of the pieces were now glued in her hair. While some crumbs were sitting on her cheeks.

"So?" Allan asked tentatively.

"Mom will like me if I like the colour."

"Who said that?"

"I know she will. She always says I'm not like her. And that's why she doesn't like me so I will become like her. Then she will like me."

"Don't become like her," Allan said, in a rough and harsh tone. Which was something he never thought he would say. And to his daughter? Not a chance. But he didn't know what to do. In 4 years, he tried hard to get close to his pretty little pumpkin. But all Elena wanted was to get her mother's attention. As it's human instinct to wish for things he doesn't get and forget the things he has. But it was more than that. She wanted her mother's love. The demon who doesn't even know what love is. How can she love? He wanted to protect his daughter but he also wanted to protect her childhood. He couldn't risk the fact that her daughter comes to know her mother is a psychopath. A killer and a murderer and his dad is a selfish egoistic person. Who only cared for her, not the truth.

That night changed everything for him. And another night came which changed everything for his daughter.

"Mom, I wanna go with you." Elena gently came to tell her mom. She knew how much her mom hates loud sounds and crying. So Elena was ready today. She told herself she wouldn't cry or scream today.

"You wanna go with me?" Mia smirked, as she asked. And that smirk was something he knew too well, the smirk of the devil.

He wanted to stop her but he was in no position to do so. He couldn't do anything. Despite seeing his hope and light getting drawn in darkness. Anything he would do will make his pumpkin suffer. And he didn't want to ruin his daughter's life because of her parent's mistakes.

They both got out and he couldn't do anything to stop them.

"Mom, where are we going?" Elena asked. And chuckled a little. Now her voice was exactly like Mia's. Unusually deep in the dark.

"You will know," Mia replied. And they kept walking. Elena's feet were quite small. So she was almost running to keep pace with her mom.

When they got there, it was dark. That's what she could remember. Nothing other than that. Her mother walked in front of her to face her straight and had a knife in her hand.

"Elena, do you know what we do with a knife?" Mia asked. This was the first time she voiced Elena's name.

"We cut the cake," Elena replied while looking straight into her mom's eyes. The eyes which she was scared to see. But I also admired the fury in them.

"No! we do so much more than that." Mia smiled. She patted Elena. And then gave a demonstration about what can be done with a knife.

...

The memory was hazy after that. All Elena could remember were screams and laughs. Like some part of her mind knew what happened. But wasn't ready to let her whole mind know what happened. And at the end, all she could remember was some woman saying.

"You're just like me in the end. So what if you have gotten mixed up? You're a painting carved by me. And I will get you when you're fully fledged. Or I will wait for you to find me." After that Elena didn't remember anything other than a woman hugging her. And telling her it was fine. Her smile was so fascinating that Elena pushed all the thoughts back and chose to follow the smile. Which was as warm as the blazing sun. Maybe that's why she couldn't remember what happened and who she was other than her name. Which was carved in the locket she was wearing.

Someone's voice was humming.

Forget about it all. It's not worth remembering. Live a life you want, forget me too. My baby. My cherry pie. Forget me too...

So she did what the voice said. But deep down she wanted to know what was so tragic that it wasn't worth remembering. She wanted to remember what she had to forget.

What was it?

Who was humming so beautifully? While crying as he was leaving for goodbye?

Just who was he?