*Third Person POV**
The memories of childhood had a way of lingering, even years later. For Raven Zeus, those early years carried a weight that never quite lifted—a pervasive loneliness that had colored everything in shades of gray.
She'd tried to be outgoing. Tried to make friends, to connect with other children her age. But every attempt had crashed against the same immovable wall: her bloodline.
The words had followed her everywhere, whispered behind hands or sometimes spoken directly to her face with cruel clarity:
*"Bloodline of Devil."*
*"Offspring of Devil."*
*"Stay away from her."*
*"She's a descendant of evil."*
*"Monster."*
*"Demon."*
The litany was endless, each phrase a small knife that accumulated into a thousand cuts. It didn't matter that her mother was one of the most powerful and respected figures on the continent. It didn't matter that Principal Rai Zeus commanded fear and admiration in equal measure.
When her mother wasn't present, the masks came off. The careful politeness dissolved into open hostility, the fearful respect transforming into contempt directed at a child who'd never asked to be born with demon blood.
Raven had learned to recognize the pattern. Adults would smile tightly when her mother was watching, their words honeyed and false. Children would play along, pretending friendship while their parents observed. But the moment supervision lapsed, the truth emerged—in cruel words, in deliberate exclusion, in the way they'd recoil if she accidentally touched them.
She'd been seven years old and already understood that she was fundamentally *other*. Different in a way that couldn't be overcome through kindness or good behavior. Her very existence was something to be tolerated at best, reviled at worst.
The isolation had been suffocating. Some nights, lying in her too-large bed in the Principal's residence, she'd wished desperately to be someone—*anyone*—else. To shed the demon heritage that marked her as unacceptable, to be normal enough that other children wouldn't flee her presence.
She'd hated her bloodline with an intensity that burned. Hated the golden eyes that marked her as different. Hated the demon ancestry that she'd never asked for but carried like chains.
Then had come the birthday banquet that changed everything.
---
Riyan Descartes's seventh birthday celebration was exactly the kind of event befitting the heir of one of the continent's most powerful families. The Descartes estate had been transformed into something from a fairy tale—elaborate decorations, entertainment that must have cost a fortune, food that looked almost too beautiful to eat.
Important figures from across the region had attended, their presence a testament to the Descartes family's influence. Guild masters, noble families, influential merchants—all gathering to curry favor or maintain alliances.
Principal Rai Zeus had received an invitation, both as a professional courtesy and because her position at Reyas Academy made her attendance politically significant. She'd brought Raven along, instructing her daughter to "go make friends with the other children" while she conducted necessary business with the Descartes family leadership.
Raven had wanted to protest. Wanted to explain that "making friends" wasn't as simple as her mother seemed to think, that the other children would just repeat the same cruel patterns they always did.
But she'd kept silent. Her mother was busy—impossibly, overwhelmingly busy managing the continent's most prestigious Academy. Adding personal problems to that burden felt selfish. And there was another concern, one Raven barely understood but felt acutely: speaking up might cause complications. Her mother had worked hard to maintain the "Inter-Racial Pact" that allowed demons and other non-human races to integrate into society. Drawing attention to discrimination might undermine those efforts.
So she'd nodded obediently and watched her mother disappear into the crowd of adults, leaving her alone in a sea of hostile faces.
The children had noticed her immediately. The whispering had started within moments, spreading like ripples across a pond.
*"That's the demon girl."*
*"Her mother's the Principal, but she's still—"*
*"—offspring of devils—"*
*"—stay away—"*
Even the adults, when they thought she couldn't hear, had muttered among themselves. Their eyes had tracked her movement with suspicion and thinly veiled disgust.
Raven had found a corner—dimly lit, out of the main flow of traffic—and settled there like a ghost at a feast. Around her, the party had continued in full swing. Children laughed and played games. Adults networked and made deals. Music filled the air, along with the clinking of glasses and the murmur of hundreds of conversations.
And she'd sat alone, surrounded by celebration yet isolated by invisible walls no one else could see.
*Why was I born like this?* The thought had circled endlessly in her young mind. *Why do I have to carry this curse? Why can't I just be normal?*
She'd hated her bloodline in that moment. Hated it with the fierce, absolute conviction only a child could muster. If she could have torn the demon heritage out of herself, left it bleeding on the floor and walked away human or elf or *anything* else, she would have done it without hesitation.
The darkness of the corner had felt appropriate. A demon's child, lurking in shadows where she belonged.
Then a voice had cut through her spiraling thoughts, bright and curious and entirely unexpected.
"May I sit here?"
Raven had looked up, startled, to find a boy standing before her. Red eyes—distinctive crimson that marked him as special—met her golden ones. Dark hair that would probably grow wild if not carefully maintained framed features that still carried childhood softness but hinted at the sharp handsomeness that would emerge later.
Riyan Descartes. The birthday boy himself, surrounded by admirers all evening, now standing in a dim corner talking to the demon girl everyone avoided.
Raven's mind had gone blank. She'd lacked the experience to navigate this situation—didn't know what to say, how to respond, whether this was some elaborate prank. Her social skills, stunted by years of isolation, had failed her completely.
She'd managed only a jerky nod, her throat too tight for words.
Riyan had taken that as permission and settled beside her, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he was voluntarily sitting next to someone everyone else treated like a plague carrier.
"What's your name?" he'd asked, his voice carrying genuine interest rather than the careful politeness adults used when her mother was watching.
"R-Ra-ven," she'd stammered, the simple syllables catching on her tongue. Her heart had been pounding so hard she'd been certain he could hear it.
"Raven?" He'd cocked his head slightly. "That's a cool name. I'm Riyan, but you probably knew that since it's my birthday party." He'd grinned—an expression so genuine and unguarded it had taken her breath away. "Are you related to Aunty Rai? You have the same last name."
The casual way he'd mentioned her mother, without fear or excessive reverence, had been jarring. "Yes," Raven had managed, her voice slightly steadier. "She's my mother."
"That's awesome! Aunty Rai is amazing. She helped my mom with something important once." Riyan had shifted to get more comfortable, completely at ease in a way Raven had never felt around other children. "So why are you sitting here alone? Where are your friends?"
The question had struck like a physical blow. Raven's expression had darkened immediately, memories of whispered cruelties flooding back. The pain must have shown on her face because Riyan had quickly backtracked.
"I'm sorry if that's something you don't want to talk about," he'd said, concern coloring his tone.
But something in his genuine worry, in the guilt that flickered in those red eyes, had loosened something inside her. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it," Raven had heard herself say, her voice steadier than before. "I just... don't have any friends. I've never really had friends."
The admission had hung between them for a moment. Raven had braced herself for rejection, for the inevitable moment when he'd realize what she was and make excuses to leave.
Instead, Riyan had smiled—bright and determined and completely unexpected.
"Then how about I be your first friend?"
---
The words had hit Raven like a thunderbolt. She'd stared at him, certain she'd misheard, waiting for the punchline or the cruel laughter that would reveal this as an elaborate joke.
But Riyan had just waited patiently, that genuine smile never wavering, red eyes holding nothing but sincerity.
"Why?" The question had burst out before she could stop it. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"
"Why not?" He'd seemed genuinely confused by the question. "You seem nice. And you're sitting here all alone at a party, which means you probably need a friend." His expression had turned thoughtful. "Is it because of the demon thing? I heard some of the kids whispering about it."
Raven's chest had tightened. Here it came—the rejection dressed up as understanding. "I'm a descendant of devils," she'd said flatly, using the words like a weapon to cut quickly rather than letting hope build. "My bloodline is—"
"So?" Riyan had interrupted, his tone genuinely perplexed. "I'm half Asura. Do you know how many ancient myths call Asuras evil demons? People used to tell stories about how we'd eat children and burn villages just for fun." He'd rolled his eyes dramatically. "It's all stupid. You're not responsible for what your ancestors supposedly did. And anyone who judges you for your bloodline is an idiot."
The casual dismissal of concerns that had haunted Raven her entire life had been stunning. She'd gaped at him, unable to process that someone—especially someone from a powerful family who had every reason to care about reputation and bloodline purity—could be so matter-of-fact about it.
"So," Riyan had continued, "do you want to be friends or not? Because this party is pretty boring when you're just standing around being polite to adults. But if we're friends, we could go raid the dessert table. I saw them bring out these amazing chocolate things that look incredible."
Despite everything—the years of loneliness, the accumulated pain, the protective walls she'd built—Raven had felt something crack inside her. Something warm and fragile and terrifying in its vulnerability.
"Yes," she'd whispered. "I'd like to be friends."
Riyan's grin had widened. "Awesome! Come on, let's go before all the good desserts are gone. And I want to introduce you to my sisters—Livia will love meeting you. She's always complaining that there aren't enough girls our age around."
He'd stood and offered his hand without hesitation, without the flinching or careful distance everyone else maintained.
Raven had stared at that outstretched hand for a long moment. Then, slowly, hardly daring to believe this was real, she'd reached out and taken it.
His grip had been warm and solid and completely without reservation.
For the first time in her seven years of life, Raven Zeus had felt something other than crushing loneliness.
She'd felt *hope*.
---
The rest of the banquet had passed in a blur of new experiences. Riyan had been true to his word—introducing her to his twin sister Livia, who'd greeted her with enthusiastic friendliness. They'd raided the dessert table together, laughing when Riyan had gotten chocolate on his nose. They'd played games with some of the other children, and while those kids had still been wary, Riyan's easy acceptance had forced them to at least be polite.
For those few hours, Raven had glimpsed what life could be like. What it felt like to be included, to laugh without fear, to be treated as a person rather than a walking curse.
When the banquet had ended and her mother had come to collect her, Raven had felt a sharp pang of loss. This night had been perfect—too perfect. Surely it couldn't last. Surely tomorrow, Riyan would realize his mistake and join everyone else in shunning her.
But as they'd said goodbye, Riyan had grinned at her and said, "See you soon, Raven! Friends don't forget each other."
The simple certainty in his voice had made something in her chest ache.
On the ride home, her mother had asked if she'd enjoyed herself. Raven had nodded, unable to articulate the complex tangle of emotions—joy and fear and desperate hope all twisted together.
She'd made a friend. Her first real friend.
And somehow, that single connection had felt more significant than anything else in her young life.
What Raven couldn't know—what she wouldn't understand until years later—was that this was only the beginning. That friendship, pure and uncomplicated in childhood, would evolve into something far more intense.
Something that bordered on obsession.
But that transformation wouldn't come immediately. First, there would be more meetings. More moments of connection. More reasons for a lonely demon girl to cling to the one person who'd ever treated her like she mattered.
The seeds of obsession had been planted that night.
It would take years for them to grow into something that could never be called simple friendship again.
---
**Author's Note:**
Welcome to Raven's Childhood Arc! This is the first of three (or possibly more) chapters exploring how Raven's relationship with Riyan developed from childhood friendship into the complex dynamic we see in the present.
**Question for readers:** How do you think childhood trauma and isolation should affect character development? Should Raven's obsession be portrayed as something romantic, something concerning, or a complex mix of both? I want to handle this character arc thoughtfully, so your input matters!
**This Week's Poll:** What aspect of Raven's past are you most interested in exploring?
A) Her experiences with discrimination and how it shaped her worldview
B) The development of her relationship with Riyan over the years
C) Her mother's influence and their family dynamic
D) The "incident" that transformed friendship into obsession
Vote in the comments!
Also, if you haven't already, check out the story background chapter—it provides important context for understanding the Inter-Racial Pact and why demon discrimination is such a significant issue in this world.
**Next Chapter Preview:** "Nexus [Part 1]" - We'll see how Raven and Riyan's friendship developed over the following years, and the first hints of when things started to change.
And if you're enjoying this story, please consider leaving a review and rating! Your feedback helps me understand what's working and motivates me to keep writing.
For those interested in my other work, check out "Villain: The White Washer" - inspired by similar themes but with a different take on the villain protagonist genre.
**Weekly Q&A:** Got questions about the world-building, characters, or where the story is headed? Drop them in the comments and I'll answer what I can in next week's author note!
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next chapter!
*- Your Author*