The Devil's Boy

PROLOGUE

Ever since Arash had crossed her path, her life had taken a strange turn. So strange that none of it made any logical sense. Little by little, she was beginning to wonder if she had completely lost her mind.

Her gaze was fixed on a strange creature swirling inside a thick cloud of smoke. Just looking at it made her head feel strangely light, as though someone had reached inside and pulled her brain right out.

She glanced around, searching for that mischievous boy, but all she could hear was his voice.

The cheerful chirping of birds broke the silence of the park.

He was lying on a grassy slope, one leg crossed over the other. He took a deep breath, hoping to enjoy the earthy scent of the damp grass. But just as he began to relax, he felt something moving inside his nose and burst into a coughing fit.

The poor mosquito had gotten stuck in his nostril.

When blowing his nose didn't help, he shoved a finger as far up his nostril as he could. Irritated, he muttered under his breath,

"Jeez..."

He pulled out a tiny, hairy clump and stared at it, his face twisting in disgust.

Then he blew through one nostril, just to make sure the operation had been a success.

Once he could breathe normally again, he popped his candy back into the corner of his mouth and tried to check the time on his phone under the blazing sun.

12:40.

With an annoyed sigh, he turned his attention to the lush greenery surrounding him.

His eyes wandered for a moment before landing on a target.

A girl was walking along the pavement below the hill.

Noticing her school uniform, he raised an eyebrow.

He clasped his hands behind his head, rolled the candy around in his mouth, and watched her with a faint grin.

His attention followed her quick, firm footsteps as they echoed against the pavement.

He was still watching her when two figures suddenly appeared behind her.

He narrowed his eyes. Two boys emerged into view.

One of them stepped in front of the girl, blocking her path.

He shifted the candy to the other side of his mouth and slowly sat up.

The second boy approached her from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. She recoiled, adjusted the strap of her bag, and gave them both a once-over.

One of the boys stood barely a step away, saying something to her.

He watched as they argued. The girl suddenly shoved the boy in the chest.

He sprang to his feet and muttered to himself,

"Alright, enough sunbathing."

He dusted off his backside a few times and strode down the hill.

One of the boys' voices reached him.

"Such a pretty little thing... Come on, sweetheart. Let us take care of you."

The girl stepped away from him, glaring furiously.

"I told you to get lost!"

"Jeez! You're so difficult. Come on, let's go. She's wasting our time."

The other boy tilted his head back. Slowly, he ran a hand along the girl's chin, licked his lower lip, and said,

"Well, now... You don't come across beauties like her every day. What a waste!"

The girl slapped his hand away.

"Don't you dare touch—"

A small stone rolled across the ground, making all three turn toward the sound.

With his hands tucked into his pockets, he sauntered over. He tilted the brim of his cap slightly upward and said,

"What's the matter, my dear brothers? Having a little trouble?"

One of the boys raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight and snapped,

"What's it to you? You a cop or something?"

He took a few more steps, stopped right in front of them, and squared his shoulders.

"Nope. I'm Superman. Came to rescue the damsel in distress."

Both boys burst out laughing. The girl rolled her eyes at him and turned away.

"Get lost, pretty boy. And next time, don't buy your stuff from some shady guy on a motorcycle."

Still grinning, he stepped closer and casually draped an arm around the necks of both boys.

He squeezed their shoulders so tightly that their laughter died instantly. Both started coughing under the pressure of his arm.

He raised his eyebrows.

Struggling to free themselves, they glanced up at his smiling face.

Towering over them, he looked down at their miserable expressions. Trying to suppress a grin, he spoke through gritted teeth,

"Sorry, fellas... I spotted her first."

The girl's eyes widened. For a few moments, she stared at the scene in disbelief. Then it finally dawned on her what he meant.

She let out a nervous scoff and muttered,

"Yeah, right!"

Both boys were taken aback. Neither had expected him to say something like that.

One of them snapped his mouth shut and shoved his arm away. He stepped right up to him, glaring into his cheeky eyes.

"What the hell? You're a scavenger now? Stealing someone else's catch in broad daylight?"

Still wearing that cool smile, he looked at the boy. Then, with one hand, he squeezed the boy's cheeks together, puckering his lips before speaking in a high-pitched, babyish voice.

"Aww... So what if I am? What are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?"

The boy was initially taken aback, but a moment later, his face twisted with anger. He ground his teeth together, his furious voice echoing down the street.

"Get your damn hands off me!"

He tried to slap the hand away, but the other boy had no intention of letting go.

Leaning slightly closer, he spoke calmly, right in the boy's flushed face.

"You'd better pack up and get out of here. Officer Nosy-Eyes is watching."

The other boy, who had been standing a little farther back, instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

A police patrol car was making its way down the street, heading straight toward them. He spotted a police officer and a young soldier watching them. One of them was holding a walkie-talkie.

Under his breath, he muttered,

"Ah, damn it! Just my freaking luck!"

Still glancing over his shoulder, he quickly tapped his friend's shoulder and said anxiously,

"Amir... Come on, let's move! The cops are coming!"

But Amir's furious eyes remained fixed on the calm face in front of him. His anger had narrowed his eyes to slits.

Noticing Amir's clenched jaw, the grin on his face grew even wider.

His friend's voice rang out again. Frantically looking behind them, he called,

"Amir! Amir! Come on, move!"

The boy hurriedly grabbed Amir's arm and pulled him away.

At the last moment, Amir tore his gaze away from that infuriatingly calm face and gave him a hard shove. He hesitated for a moment, then backed away and left with his friend.

Amir's voice drifted back to him.

"Vulture..."

"Forget him, man. You'll choke on your own anger."

Amir smacked the back of his friend's head.

"Shut up!"

With a triumphant look, he watched them leave, his arms crossed over his chest. Then he turned toward his target.

But the moment he realized the girl was gone, the smile froze on his face and his arms fell to his sides.

He had expected her to still be standing there, but she was already walking away, her steps heavy with irritation.

Without a second thought, he strode after her.

"Oh, come on... Where'd she go?"

A few steps ahead, the girl still hadn't noticed him following her. Desperate to escape the scorching sun, she quickened her pace.

The heat had left her irritated and exhausted. It felt as though her fatigue had doubled.

She wiped the sweat gathering above her furrowed eyebrows. She was already miserable from exhaustion, and the heat, combined with those two idiots, wasn't helping.

She let out an irritated huff.

Pulling her school headscarf firmly forward, she folded it back on both sides and pushed it up to her eyes. At last, she could shield herself from the sunlight—and from the sight of the lush park that might otherwise have helped calm her temper.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard the voice of that crazy boy behind her.

"Hey, sweetheart! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

His voice was getting closer.