PROLOGUE: The Black Nightingale

Trigger Warning: abuse, strong language

...

Castles. Houses. I've destroyed them but no one has ever caught me, how could they? When I'm the strongest villain they've ever met.

These flightless mortals could never catch someone like me. Strong wings that could blow two houses down, super strength and telekinesis that can stop arrows from hitting me, a mask that hides my face, my voice that lures them to sleep, as I take what I want. Their money, their precious belongings, even their souls. No one would notice a grain of sand leaving the beach, even if I took many, it wouldn't matter. 

"Hezron! Give me back my necklace!"

Before the poor guy could even finish his sentence, I flew out of his sight as I turned my back on the small village I burned. With my feathers tracing against the clouds, I land on the familiar grounds of my territory. 

Stepping into the house my father left for me while carrying the bags of the things I took, I still smell the stench of the horrible torture through the walls. I hear my empty footfalls as I walk through the hallway. 

"What's for dinner?", my voice echoes in the kitchen as I place my mask on the kitchen island. "Roasted Chicken? Again?", I tell myself. 

These conversations I have with myself entertain me throughout my day. I wouldn't be surprised if I become insane, scarily enough, I haven't yet.

In my usual routine, I wash myself, fluff my wings, plop onto the bed and reflect on everything that I did.

Are you happy? No. Then why did you do it? I don't know. For fun? For revenge? I don't know. Was it regretful? 

"Yes...", I mutter to myself as I fall to my slumber.

In this dark place, who needs hell when you're just simply living this life? Even if I could trade someone my life and reward them with all the riches I have, no one would dare.

As the sun leaks through the stained windows and onto my eye, it's my sign to go about my day and do another mischief. I plan on going to another bank and rummaging around looking for diamonds and precious jewels. 

"Listen fools, I just want you to open up the vault and I will get some things in there and I don't care whose it is, I leave then you close the vault again and we will go back to our normal lives, okay? Do it fast or this guard gets his head stuffed in gold bars", I point my fingers to the weak and old man, trembling in his uniform guarding the vault.

Their guns pointing at me, surrounding me. I took one step closer to the vault and they put their guns closer to me, one of them cocked their gun in panic and suddenly shot. A few feathers flew as it went through and the bullet went straight to the head of one of his crew and I saw their faces shift emotions as the lifeless body of their member dropped to the floor.

"You pathetic fools", I chuckled as their actions led me to use my best weapon.

"Watch the clock, tick and tock

Feathers fly, to the sky

Feel the wind, through your skin

My presence gone, before the dawn

One breath, one blink

One step, one move

Which place do I belong

As my presence gone, before the dawn"

I watched them as they tried to fight the effect of the sound of my song until they fell to the floor deep in slumber. My feathers fall on the floor as they follow me as I go. As I opened the vault, the shine of the gold bars blinded me for a second. 

I snickered as I took the precious jewelry owned by the head of the town, such possession should be in a museum, not in a vault where it could be taken by someone like me. Such fools.

As I picked the last thing which was a gold bar, I turned to take my leave when a pink figure was standing meters away from me.

"Put that back!", a pink and winged lady shouted at me and flew towards me.

I stopped her with my telekinesis power and sent her flying through the metal wall. I smirked as I felt her getting up from beside me and start to fly again. Usually, a normal person would pass out from the impact so I'm sure this person I'm with right now is supernatural. 

I raised both of my hands sarcastically as she started pointing an arrow at me, knowing that I could stop it.

"Your bag, take it all out and put everything back, please?", her gentle voice that almost broke as if she was about to cry. 

She stretched her bow as a sign that she would hit me, and then I said, "Or else, what?".

"Are you sure you wanna know what will happen if you don't do it? You won't like it", her soft expression made me put my guard down.

I smirked as I felt challenged for the first time in my life. I feel a rush of excitement as I put my hands down, ready for a duel. "I would love to see you tr-".

She shrieked, shocked and felt guilty as she shot an arrow at me while I was distractedly trying to say something. 

"I'm sorry!", her words echoed through my ear. Just like that? 

I bitterly laughed in my head thinking about being the strongest villain and just shot... Just like that! And with a winged someone in pink! What is she, some cupid?

"The arrow contains a potion that restricts you from moving, so right now your body is immobile but you're still conscious, hope that helps enlighten you", she giggled as she put the things back that I stole.

Watching myself getting shot by some pink fly, I don't wanna live anymore. This is so humiliating! Now I'm just lying down on some stacked coins watching her put everything back.

"Freeze! Put your hands up where I can see them"

A group of cops pointed a gun at the pink bug and my still body. Looking at the pink lady, she looked like she was about to cry. 

Why wouldn't she just tell them that she was helping them? 

In the end, we were both locked up in the city jail. 

We were both in the same cell and the officials stepped outside for a few minutes. The pink insect looked at me as I was flat on the floor, just lying there like a doll being left behind.

She knelt and grabbed something from her pockets, it was a bottle. A bottle with some glittery content inside. Assuming that it could help me from this situation, she would pour it down on me or let me drink it. 

Impatient. A vein popped up on my forehead but then she withdrew the bottle from getting it near me. The fuck!? 

A smirk rose from the corner of her lips as she playfully said, "I can only give this to good guys, remind me why we're here again? Oh! Because of you! I'll give this to you once you promise to be good from now on"

Yeah, like I care, just give me the goddamn bottle!

I tried to ease up my nerves to make it seem like I was following her request. Her eyes lit up when she saw it, then she knelt again. Slowly. Patiently. Gracefully.

She leaned closer to my face as she tilted the open bottle fuming out glittery smoke. My eyes shifted to how closely our faces were. Her breath was exchanging with mine as she was focused on what she was doing. 

Her smile contrasted to her bold, fiery eyes, her eyes that could outshine a wildfire.

Her button nose reminded me of my missing mother.

Soft freckles that sit perfectly on her blushed up cheeks.

Her light burgundy, wavy hair reminded me of the waves of the beach where I used to go before the world decided to turn its back on me, at the same time it also reminded me of the fire that killed my father. 

"...And done", she spoke and got up.

But before she could turn to walk away, I held her hand.

Why did I do that? Was my hand longing for her hand even before I was able to move again? This is weird... I'm still on the ground and I still want her to stay with me. Is she a friend? I feel so comfortable yet I feel intimidated by what she is capable of. Fear? No, that's not it. I can't sum up what I'm feeling right now.

"H-hey..."

She winced, showing that I might have held her too hard.

I softened my grip as I gained composure, not letting her go. I pointed at her with my other hand, "You! What are you?"

My voice startled her and I felt a bit of guilt. "I'm a scout... I'm-uhh a healer and a mage", she muttered. "You promised that you'll be good once I give you the antidot-"

"When did I say that?", I cut her off and she was jolted by the heaviness of my voice.

I tightened my grip on her hand as I walked towards her.

Step.

I watched her as she walked backward every time I stepped forward, slowly, and taking our time.

Step.

I can sense fear from her as she looks up at me. Her chest heaved with every breath she took.

Step.

Her sparkly, garnet eyes locked onto me as her wings hit the brick walls of the cell, nowhere left to go as I towered over her figure that was up to my shoulders.

"Are you gonna kill me?", she spoke, trembling under my silhouette.

My mind snapped, finally thinking straight.

Recalling what happened hours earlier, this pink flea shot an arrow at me. Thinking about the humiliation I faced, I'm not letting this go. 

"Who are you?", I growled, deep and dominant. 

For a few seconds, silence echoed around us. Then, I felt a shift of mood in the atmosphere.

She snickered. Her flimsy, delicate figure vanished in an instant as she stood straight, like a different person. She reminded me of a fox, cunning. That's what I sense from her and I don't trust it.

"I am Danica, a more powerful being than you", I stepped back as she strode away from me.

She turned around and looked at me. Her doe eyes became as sharp as a fox, her soft smile became a smirk. And that was when it came to light that she is someone, that I fear is stronger than me. She's a cursed cupid.

I felt a lump in my throat as my mind tried to process what she said.

"Familiar? We meet again, Hezron"

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