Chapter 2

My mom died.

It's been 2 weeks since my mother died and here I am starving.

My mother who was already suffering from a disease finally broke herself….

I asked a neighbor to help me bury her body and he was weirded out and later explained to me that demons who are dead will eventually become one with the netherworld and disappear after some time so till then their bodies are to be preserved to show them, love.

I was like 'Ah so that's how it is', as a human in a previous life, it was kind of creepy seeing my mother's dead body daily in the house in front of me.

I would be lying if I said I am not sad about her death, the truth is I am on the verge of a mental breakdown but am somehow able to keep myself sane.

I have not dared to shed a single tear as I know the moment I do, It will be the end.

I was emotionally sensitive even in my old life but also had strong mental fortitude.

I was surviving thanks to the little bit of savings my mom had made during her whole life while living here alone.

She never made me do work and tried her best to give me the best childhood she could give from her side.

After finally two weeks of depression, I became determined enough to do something.

I approached my mother's dead body while mumbling slowly and repeatedly.

"I m sorry… I am sorry… I am sorry… I am sorry… I am sorry…"

If I wanted to survive, I had to do what I could.

I touched her youthful face which was now losing life and slowly kissed her cheek as I realized there was a few drops of water on her face.

'Huh, why am I crying now?'

Even though I prepared myself for this moment, I still could not accept the reality that my mother, the only one who loved me in this life, my only support, the one who daily wore a smile to hide her pain, the one who daily did whatever she could to feed me and give me a memorable childhood alone… has left me alone.

She was my hero and best friend, someone who could never be replaced in my life.

A hero, even under such circumstances, her husband betrayed her and left her alone here to rot in the disgusting slums, and her daughter whom she raised ran away from her leaving her alone.

She was dealing with such an emotional phase and I never realized the gravity of the situation just because she would always smile at me, and be kind to me.

I remember when I used to ask her if she had enough money or was suffering due to not having food, she would always act with confidence denying it and changing the topic easily, I was the one at fault for not realizing her pain sooner.

Even while being bedridden, she would still muster up the strength to go out to get food to feed me, how she would come so exhausted and cough blood at night alone.

I only now realized how much I loved her in my life.

Even while living in slums, I never once felt too uncomfortable thanks to her.

"Waa… waa…. Waah…."

I cried hard as much as I could in the final moments.

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Sometime later

My tears dried up and my eyes were red and swollen and my throat was parched after crying continuously for hours.

I was sitting on the edge of our small wooden bed where she was resting staring at my house's ceiling silently contemplating my life.

'Mom would have not let me cry if she was here, why am I being so weak haha…

If my mom could endure so much, why can't I? Is it because I was a human previously? Probably not, it was because she was a hero and I am a loser who did not realize her own mother's suffering.'

'Mom would have wanted to me live on if she was here, I will survive no matter what… I will…. It's my promise to you…. '

I glanced at my mom's dead figure one last time before getting up.

I came near her and closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again.

If someone were to look at her at this moment, they will see the absolute determination she carried and the sheer will to overcome grief.

I glanced at my mother and exhaled.

Pointing my palm toward the body of my mother, I uttered one single word

[Devour]

A dark purple-black energy shot from within her palm, a short tiny bit as it moved towards the dead body in the room.

Even though the energy released was minuscule, if any high-ranking or experienced demon saw it, he/she would see how potent this tiny amount of energy was, the amount of hunger it contained was immeasurable even in this small smoke, if one gazed inside, the individual won't be able to tell what was inside it.

It was like an abyss!

Like Abyss itself opening its maw to lunge forward.

But!

Something happened to the small amount of smoke as soon as it touched the dead body.

A rumble within it occurred.

A terrifying amount of energy shot out from her hand in the form of black-purple smoke and with a very fast speed covered her mother's body.

The malevolent energy engulfed mother's body as it slowly devoured upon it as it feasted or seemed like it.

The moment this amount of energy was released, every single demon living in the slum city shivered as if death was behind their back tickling their necks.

They broke into a cold sweat and some weaker ones fainted.

At the house, as the energy finished devouring the mother's body, it subsided and traced back to her.

She soon felt the effect.