Chapter One
What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when someone says, “Monster”? Probably something who is very dark and evil with a heart made of stone. Something who kills just for fun, with no regrets. In other words, a bloodthirsty non-human creature who everyone should fear and never trust.
But who decided who’s a monster and who isn’t?
Is it by how different someone is from the rest of the world? Or by the way, they look so different that everyone is afraid? Maybe the difference is what cause demons to be outcasts. In this universe, there are three worlds; The Light World, The Dark World, and The Myth World. You’re considered a monster, animal, the ethical, or normal human based on what world you came from. If both of your parents are part of the dark world, you are considered a monster. Unless you have one parent who from the Dark World then you can choose which life you’d rather live but that’s only if you don’t have any dark abilities, if so then you are a monster or in other words, a demon. If you have a Dark World parent and you’re part animal, you are considered a demon.
Basically, anyone who is not from the Light World is considered not normal and demons. They have the choice to choose which world they would want to live in, either Myth or Dark. The bad news about that though is that going to the Myth World if you’re from the Dark World is that you have to prove yourself to be so powerful, but that’s only rumors so the kids here can work harder.
The worlds are divided by borders that are burning with dangerous white dancing flowers, only those from the Light world can cross them without trouble. However, those from the Dark and Myth worlds will easily get killed in those flames, unless they traveled on those special fireproof trains, wore fireproof cloaks that protect them from the easy death, or if they’re a dragon, their scales can protect them as well.
In the Myth World, that’s where the legendary creatures live such as dragons, serpents, unicorns, elves, pixies, and any other myth or legend. They can be mischievous at times but sometimes they serve the other three worlds as servants, or soldiers. Basically, their future is based on their highest strength in a certain subject or just on big muscles. Those who are actual hybrids, they have the ability to transform into a human and their animal. That results from the hybrids being recognized having brown, red or dark hair, sometimes they can be light and dark skinned, but all their eyes are forest green or jade green. Other Myth World citizen have hair and eyes of different color, just not blonde hair. However, only the wolf hybrids are the exception since all of their eyes are hazel which is really a mystery but not a big one to make a big deal about.
The Dark World, that’s where every demon and monster lived; even witches prefer to live in this cold wasteland. Citizens who are demons can either have skeleton wings, coal feathered wings, or no wings at all. Every demon there has dark hair like those from the Animal World, and are either light or dark skinned but they can dye their hair in dark colors. You can get a clue who’s a demon by the red, or black color of their eyes, especially if you see that their pupils very thin. They cause trouble everywhere and are mostly responsible for causing deaths around the world but that wasn’t the main trouble they can accuse of... The main trouble is best to not to be spoken of at all costs if you want to keep your head.
The Light World, it’s said that that is where the pure souls lived. In English, this was where people who considered the well behaved and the ones who never do wrong. They can either be light or dark skinned with any kind of hair color even blonde, but you can tell if they are from the Light World because those who are gifted or just normal have blue eyes. There are also Light Worlders who are so pure and good that they are gifted with white wings. Sometimes they are known as the Ethical though not everyone calls them that sometimes. Also in the Light world, there are those who are just plain human so obviously they are the ones who are just plain normal. They don’t have any powers or special body features like the others that were mentioned but as said before, they have blue eyes.
But who made the rules in this world that are divided into four worlds?
The answer to that was Sun. No, not the sun that you see every day when you go outside. This group of Light World citizens called the Sun Gang were the ones who created these worlds. At the beginning when the world was still new, there was a lot of confusion and wars, mainly between the Dark and Light. The fighting was endless, the world was losing more souls every five seconds. That was until after five centuries of fighting, the Sun Gang came and compromised with the Dark side, agreeing that they’ll divide the world into three sections. That was when they created the deadly white fire borders and well things are okay but there’s still trouble. Overall we all live peacefully and well balanced.
At least, that is what everyone in the Light World claims.
“Hugo?!”
“What?! I read my report just right in my opinion!”
“The history of our worlds part was fine but the beginning and the ending is just wrong!”
“But isn’t this report supposed to be opinion based?”
“Not like that young man, they’ll think you’ve gone mad! They’ll banish you!”
“Who’s “they “? Do they consist of Light citizens?!”
Now Hugo knew that he better keep his mouth shut since he just crossed the line with that question. Without much to think about, he bowed to his mother, quietly apologizing before this argument turns ugly. “I’m sorry for saying that mom, I’ll take those parts off of my report if that’ll make you happy.”
His mother’s expression melted from shock to relief as she nodded a bit, her rough pale hand stroking Hugo’s spiky raven hair. “Now that’s my good little demon, now quickly rewrite your report so you won’t make a bad impression at the academy.”
With that, his mother got up from her fancy vulture bone bond chair and went to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner; skull soup with a side dish of dead rat’s eyes, not very much his favorite. Her jade long dress that came with a skull decorated apron wrapped around was soon out of sight in the kitchen as Hugo sighed, and picked up his dried dusty raven’s feather, dipped it into the jar of ink and began to rewrite his report. He was going to attend Lunar Star Academy the next day, that’s where those who just turned fourteen go to continue their studies after being home schooled but with others from the different worlds. Such an experience to live through even though it’s with an enormous group of teens who are from different worlds who can easily rip each other throats out just because of their difference. The school that’ll determine their future jobs and paths just by how strong, intelligent and courageous they are.
Demons get the jobs to punish those who have seen as troubled and considered crazy. Along with other jobs like kidnapping, murdering, or just living a simple gloomy lifestyle until the end of their lives. Those jobs are often assigned by their boss or a customer who needs someone to get killed. However, they get other job options but it’s so dark and evil like that we’re better off not listing them for the sake of what’s left of your innocence. If they’re really lucky, they can live in the Myth world; as garbage pickers. But if they are really lucky and very skilled, they get a job to be guards in the Light World, but be treated like strangers.
The problem was that Hugo didn’t want a life with just darkness and dump but, unfortunately, he wasn’t part human, so he doesn’t get a chance to maybe live a human lifestyle. Here in the Dark World, it’s only gray every day with dead trees, dusty roads, fog, crows, ravens, rats, and bones.
“I’m a demon no matter what,” He sighed to himself because he knew that the chances of him living a better lifestyle are impossible.
“Mother!”
“Yes, dear?”
He paused for a second before shouting his question, “Will I meet others who are like me?”
“I don’t see why not dear...Why there are a lot of demons in the worlds around these days, so many people are marrying demons these days.”
Another detail about this entire world, every family lives in their own amount of land, alone, away from other families. Only parents are allowed to go visit other homes in this demon world, sometimes the Myth, and the Light world as well. The children stay home so they don’t meet other children their age until they turn fourteen and go to the Lunar Star Academy. The only worlds that allowed the children to meet other kids their age were the Light and Myth Worlds.
Hugo looked at himself in the mirror in front of his bone desk, the same boy looked back at him. Crimson filled eyes with thin pupils, pale colored skin, short spiked dark hair. They call his devilish eyes the Demon Eye because those eyes aren’t just for fashion. It has the ability to paralyze people, cause time to stop or even kill anyone who the Demon wants to kill. He can completely control its power very well, but he had to practice so his power can last longer. When it activates, the eyes that possess the Demon Eye will instantly turn completely white, but there are some demons whose eyes turn completely red!
“If you’re planning to go outside once you’re done, remember to go kill something today before your father comes home! You want a story to tell your new classmates don’t you?”
“Yes mother,” Hugo groaned, his mother meant well but she could annoying sometimes. Not all demons are careless, and his parents are good examples since they never actually been harsh to him but he saw them evil with other strangers. Sure they had to worry because the laws stated that any kind of rebellious behavior leads to harsh punishment.
Banishment, and sometimes death.
Banishment to where? He has no idea but his parents never want him to find out.
His parents both follow the rules so they won’t get into any trouble but sometimes he would rather break some laws if he’ll be able to have some fun for once!
At last, he finished editing his report, which he hated to do but it was a requirement for the Lunar Star Academy. The Sun Gang read his report along with a couple hundred more from the other students just to see what kind of people they are. His father was out there somewhere helping his co-workers kill off any enemies who don’t belong in any of their worlds. ‘Killing’ was a word that wasn’t in his dictionary, which was odd since every demon child loved the idea of smelling their victim’s blood.
He shivered at the thought of killing, putting his quill pen back in its place while he got up and went outside to climb up to the roof of this large gray mansion that looked abandoned. Climbing step by step with the aid of the pipes, it didn’t seem very difficult after all he did that for as long as he could remember. Always going up to the roof to get trapped in his thoughts, and he didn’t have to worry about falling, this mansion was pretty strong despite on it looks.
Since his father was the leader of his job, he was given millions of coal as payment. In the Dark World, the citizens use coal as money to pay for things they needed or wanted. With a ton of coal, his family has, he’s the richest demon in the world, at least that what he believes. His father is described to have the same spiky darkened hair as Hugo but the man was taller with small and noticeable muscles but hidden underneath long sleeves of a buttoned shirt.
His head was once again in the clouds, his imagination spreading through his mind as he wondered if there was anyone in this small world who felt the same way he did. He could almost feel the warmth of the sun that he longed to feel but knew that the sun would never shine her face down here, that he didn’t notice his father entering the house. He didn’t even hear the sound of slapping from his parents; which is the custom in this place to slap someone to show affection but his parents claim that they are the only ones to hold that tradition so he didn’t know anyone else who does it. Fortunately, that was another thing that wasn’t in Hugo’s mind on what to do and what not to do or things to consider doing in the future. “Who decided who’s bad and who’s good?” He asked, not sure if he was talking to himself or to some force out in this gloomy world.
“Hugo! Time for dinner!”
“Coming father!”
Hugo hopped off the roof and entered to answer his father’s call while his question lingered in his mind for the rest of the evening.
“Who really decides who’s good and who’s bad in these worlds?”
