Previously: Richard lives with his mother Delia in New York. Since childhood, he has had strange nightmares where a demonic voice calls out to him. Delia always stays silent about it. One day, Richard, frustrated, demands,
"Who am I? And why is this happening only to me? I'm no longer a naïve kid… I deserve answers to my questions."
Now:
It was raining heavily outside, and thunder echoed with a strange silence spreading through the room. Delia started crying. Richard felt broken inside too, but his urge to know the truth outweighed the pain in his heart.
Delia said, "I don't want to lose you, Richard… but I can't hide this anymore. You're right… you're no longer a child. I have to tell you everything now."
She began:
"You're not an ordinary human… you're something else. Something I've always been afraid of. This story began the day I went to an amusement park with my friend. Everything was fine… until I saw a boy dressed in black. There was something different about him. I left everyone behind and went up to him and said hello."
"He looked at me. His eyes were light blue… and he was completely serious. I asked, 'Who are you?' He said, 'I'm not what you think I am. I'm very different from you.' When I insisted, he finally told me his name: Lucas Athmen."
"From that moment on, I kept thinking about him. The next day, I found out that new neighbors had moved into the building across from mine. While walking by, I saw the same boy again — Lucas Athmen."
"The next day, I went to his house. When I knocked on the gate, Lucas came out. I greeted him. He was a little shocked to see me. I said, 'I live right across the street.' Then I returned home."
"Lucas was full of mystery — and that's what I liked the most about him. I started visiting him every day. He began opening up a little. One day, we went to the park, and I told him that I had feelings for him. He replied, 'Delia, I'm not right for you.' When I asked why, he said, 'I'm not human.'"
Delia had tears in her eyes, but with a faint smile she said,
"This isn't the time for jokes, Lucas… I'm serious."
Lucas said, "I want to stay away from you because I was sent here to kill you. Your ancestors were enemies of devils. Every 600 years, a child is born with the power to fight devils — and that child is you. I was sent to eliminate you… but I fell in love with you. Now many devils are after me to seal me away."
I replied, "If I'm meant to die, then I'd rather die with you. And besides, as long as I'm alive, I'll protect you."
"Eventually, we got married… and you were born – Richard. Everything was fine... until the day we feared arrived."
"They came. I had trained for years. Lucas and I fought them off together and destroyed them all. But then… 'He' came..."
Richard, shocked, asked, "Who, mom?"
Delia, trembling, replied, "A…A…Akuma."
🎬 [To be continued...]