ANGEL || Ryuji Suguro

O N E

My mother used to call me her little angel, a nickname I had never truly understood until I learned the truth of what I was. And while all I felt was hatred when I thought of that truth about, I would give anything to hear her call me that one more time.

After her death, I had been taken in by her friend. Father Shiro Fujimoto, an exorcist. And not just any exorcist but the Paladin.

That had been almost 10 years ago.

I was proud to say I'd come a long way since then. I still had many issues, and I would be forever scarred from the truth of my past, but I was doing well.

Shiro had become my father figure, the monastery my home and the people there my family. Especially the twins, Yukio and Rin Okumura. Blood relation didn't matter when it came to them because they were my brothers, no matter what.

They couldn't be more different from each other too. Yukio took on the older brother role despite being the younger of the two. He knew my secret, and I knew his. It was something that made it easy for us to become close, and he had been the first friend I had made when I came to the monastery.

Rin on the other hand couldn't get me to be his friend no matter how hard he tried. I knew what he was, and it was my divine mission to kill him when the time came, but he knew nothing, and soon enough I found myself counting him as a brother, someone I would protect.

But now he wasn't just my brother, he was my best friend, the person I went to first and who I loved with my whole heart.

"Oh, Lia!" Yukio appeared in front of me with a kind smile. "I was looking for you. I've finished packing now, I'll be ready to leave in the morning."

A small frown overtook my face at the thought of Yukio leaving us tomorrow.

"I can't believe you're going to True Cross. I'm so proud of you." I stared up at my big brother in awe. He was truly something special.

Yukio began leading me down the halls as he thanked me for my words, "It means a lot to me. I've come so far from the scared kid I used to be."

"That you have. You're now going to study to become a doctor and you're working as an exorcist. What you've achieved is truly incredible. I'm just gonna miss you a lot." I smiled at him, happy to see him achieve what he's always wanted.

"You could still come with me. You know Mephisto would let you, he's been holding that place for you since you were young." He pointed out, bringing up a point he had made several times in our talks of us going to True Cross.

Mephisto Pheles had been a close friend of my mothers, and one of the few people who knew where we were when I was a child, which led to him being around a lot. He had become an uncle figure for me at a young age, and had held me a spot in True Cross for the past few years to try to get me to attend, which I had always denied.