Black Heart The demon's Child

Chapter 3: The Stranger's offer

The night was dead quiet, the snow falling in thick, silent sheets around the little encampment Aria had set up in the woods.

She lay huddled beneath a tattered blanket, her body shaking with cold despite the small fire she had built prior to nightfall.

Black Heart had been quiet-too quiet for a baby-but that was his nature. He never cried or fussed as other children did, just stared at the world with those dark, ancient eyes as if he understood far more than he should.

But tonight was different.

A sudden sound rent the stillness-a soft, low cry that echoed through the air.

Aria's eyes sprang open, heart racing at a deadly pace in her chest. For a second or two, she lay still, caught between reality and fiction, wondering if it was her imagination running riot or whether Black Heart really made that noise. Then, she heard it again, louder this time.

Her baby was crying.

Panic set in, and she wriggled into a sitting position. Her breath came out in quick clouds in the cold air, her head jerking around frantically, searching for her little boy. But he had vanished from next to her.

"Black Heart!" she shrieked, her voice shaking with terrified fear. Staggering to her feet, she clutched the blanket about her shoulders for its meager warmth.

Snow crunched beneath her boots as, in a seeming daze, she stumbled between the trees, her breath harsh in the night air. "Black Heart!"

The cold bit into her skin, and she found her teeth chattering wildly as she scanned the snow-covered landscape. How could she have been so careless? She had been exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open- and now her baby was missing.

"Black Heart!" she exclaimed again, her voice carrying far into the distance, though most of the sound was swallowed by the howling wind. Her fingers were on fire, her body stiff with cold, but she pushed forward, her heart racing.

She stopped abruptly, her eyes suddenly falling upon something in front of her-some form already standing on the other side of the trees and shrouded in darkness beyond.

It was him.

The same man as the night before, the one who had appeared out of nowhere, warning her of the danger her son was in.

Black Heart was cradled in his arms, the soft glow of his dark flames wafting from his hair and casting a gentle light through the otherwise shadowed forest.

The man stared down at the child-the most bizarre smile played across his lips, as if he were awed by the power the boy held.

"He's beautiful," he said quietly, his voice smooth and low almost like a lullaby in the quiet of night. He traced his fingers lightly through the black flames as if they adorned Black Heart's hair, unbothered by the heat they gave off.

Aria's heart was racing. In the sight of her son safe in the man's arms came a flood of relief, but it was soothed by a deep sense of unease.

She didn't know who this stranger was, let alone what he wanted, but on one thing he was right: Black Heart was special, and that made him dangerous.

"Thank you," Aria said, her breath exhaled in puffs of white against the cold night air. His eyes flicked to her, his smile still in place, but there was something unreadable in his gaze.

"Why are you all alone, little human? Where is his father? Immediately, the mention of Black Heart's father caused Aria's heart to clench.

It was well over two years since he had disappeared from their sight, vanishing without a trace after that fateful night.

Aria continually hoped that he would one day come back, would finally show up and protect the child of them, but as time went by, little by little, that flower of hope started to wither away.

"I... I don't know," she finally admitted, her voice barely a whisper. She hated the vulnerability in her voice, but it was the truth. She didn't know where he was, and she couldn't keep on pretending he was going to come back.

The man studied her for a moment, his face inscrutable. "It has been two years, hasn't it?" he said in a soft tone-as if reading her thoughts. "And yet you wait for him."

Aria was consumed by guilt. She had tried with all her will to be brave for her son, but the steady tide of their situation pressed down on her spirit. She was alone and Black Heart's power grew stronger each day.

"I'll help you," said the man, his voice cutting through her thoughts. "You need help, you know, in taking care of him."

Aria's eyes widened. Help?

The thought of being at the mercy of this stranger sent ripples of fear through her, but the choice she did not have.

She was barely surviving on her own, and powers that Black Heart possessed were beyond comprehension.

His silent watchful nature further added to her unease. He hadn't smiled or giggled like a normal child.

He stared at her with dark, flame-licked eyes that held a wisdom no baby should possess.

The man must have sensed her reticence, for he moved closer, still cradling Black Heart in his arms.

"He's different," the man whispered, his eyes never leaving the boy. "More powerful than you realize. But power like his is dangerous. If you aren't careful, it will consume him. Or worse, it will consume you."

Aria swallowed hard and her gaze flickered to her son, who stared back at her, his tiny hands resting on the man's chest, his flames casting eerie shadows across the pale skin.

He seemed fragile, small. But she knew the man was right-something in him, something dark and dangerous, only waited to be let out.

After a long moment, Aria nodded. "I... I don't have a choice, do I?"

He smiled again then, a note of satisfaction in that smile now. "No, you don't, but I will teach you. I will help you control his power, and in return, I ask only that you trust me.

Aria hesitated a moment longer, the wind howling through the trees carrying with it the distant sounds of wolves on the hunt.

She was alone in the world, hunted by villagers who would kill both her and her son without hesitation. She had no allies, no one to turn to. And this man whoever he was, seemed to know far more about Black Heart than she did.

At last, she nodded. Her voice no more than a whisper. "Alright." The man's smile spread, and he shifted Black Heart to reposition her in his arms.

"Good. Then let's go. My cave is not far, and the wolves will be out soon. With that, he turned and started walking deeper into the forest; snow crunched softly under his boots. In the darkness, Black Heart's flames danced weakly, casting long shadows with the man's movements as his figure dissolved into the night.

Aria stood there for a moment, while her heart pounded against her chest as she watched them disappear into the trees. She looked around the forest with the eerie silence pressing in on her from all sides.

Then, with a deep breath, she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulder and hurried after them, her mind racing with all sorts of questions and doubts.

Who was this man? And what did he really want with her son? But for now, those would have to wait. Survival came first, and in a world where even the wind seemed to whisper threats, Aria knew she couldn't afford to refuse help-even if it came from a stranger.

The path ahead was fuzzy, but as she followed him further into the darkened woods, a sense would not leave her mind that the life-and Black Heart's-was going to change forever.