Rin's POV:

I heard a snap and then all I felt was blinding pain.

That's all I remembered before everything went black. But the blackness wasn't empty, it thrived. It was full of life, but I couldn't pin point with exactly what. The darkness seemed to buzz, a constant humming in my ears. Soon enough, it felt like I was floating away from my body, from who I was. I heard voices, people I knew, they were talking to me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying or who they were.

Then the blackness became painful, just existing in it was agony. It teased and tormented me, and I, unable to move, couldn't escape. It seemed to pierce right through me, like a surgery without anesthesia. Pins and needles attacking every inch of my being. I don't remember when, but I was able to hear my own heartbeat. It seemed slow, much slower than usual, and it fucking hurt every time it beat against my chest cavity. It rattled throughout my body and reverberated into the darkness, echoing back and haunting me.

Ow, it was excruciating. It hurt to breathe, the air in my lungs burning like alcohol to a rug burn. The stinging compounded, growing larger with every breath, every beat of my aorta. It washed over me, waking me up from my haze, I cracked an eyelid, light breaking through and blinding me. I breathed in sharply and rubbed my eyes, my shoulders hurting from the action. Removing my hands, I squinted through the light, taking in my surroundings. I was in my bedroom, sunlight pouring through my blinds and scattering throughout my room. It must be morning.

I paused, recalling my prior memories. Had it all been a dream? Was I, in fact, a demon child? Not only that, but the son of Satan? I swallowed dryly, realizing my thirst. Coughing slightly, I pushed myself up, pulling the covers off of me and swinging my feet over the edge of the bed and touching the cooled floor. Grunting, I pushed myself up, only to lean against my nightstand as my balance didn't catch. After my world leveled out, I gripped the doorknob to my room and slowly opened it. Outside I heard low chatter, and I found myself doubting my memories. I was feeling fairly off, so maybe it had all been a fever dream?

Opening my door fully, I walked out into the hallway, making my way toward the common's area. I stopped just before the entrance, listening into their conversation. But... I couldn't make out what they were saying, or who it was. They must really be keeping quiet. I rounded the corner, the common's area was even brighter than my room, the stained glass sparkling and sending colors dancing throughout the room. The wooden pews bathed in rainbows.

As I entered, the chatter stopped and I saw Yukio and Dad turn toward me. I blinked several times, rubbing my eyes once again to fix my vision. Yet, when I looked up, nothing changed. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" My own voice sounded foreign to me and It startled me. Dad got up from his seated position, grabbing at his hip and grunting in the process. However, it was my brother, coming toward me, a crutch in his hand, that had me speechless.

"Rin," he said quietly, "how do you feel?" I simply stared at him. How did I feel? I wasn't the one with a crutch and a hurt foot. My eyes flickered down to his left foot, which was, thankfully, not in a cast, but only wrapped. "Rin?" I sighed, my eyes wandering back up to meet his.

"I feel like hell, everything hurts."  He didn't seem satisfied with my answer and asked me to elaborate. At this point, Dad had made it over to us and sat in a nearby pew. His muted crimson eyes tracing me as I spoke. "Everything, it just... hurts?" I faltered, "no, I take that back, it's not like it's painful, but everything's... uncomfortable." I looked at them both, feeling a bit of frustration build inside as they stared at me. "What's going on, what happened?"

They broke their gazes to give each other a look before Yukio sighed. "What do you remember?"

I hesitated, "the demon thing?" He nodded and I slumped slightly. "So, it all happened. I'm the devil's spawn? Everything with that rich kid? That demon?" He nodded once more and I took a deep breath. "I don't recall a lot of details, I remember feeling... warm, and there was fire. Blue fire." I paused at that, but they neither tried to correct me on anything. God, it wasn't a dream, it was a fucking nightmare.

"After that?" Dad said from his seated position. I assessed him, how he was coddling his side. He was hurt, and that somehow conjured up the memory of him standing in front of me, and then him holding me. I remembered being so... upset at that point, but his arms were soothing. But after that, it was a jumbled mess. "I remember.... I remember teeth, seeing tee- err fangs actually. That thing," I motioned as if to represent the demon; "he attacked me. But after that?" I stood there, thoughtful, for a few moments before sighing. "I only remember hearing something snap and then feeling so much pain." The memory made me wince. "So much pain, god, it swept through me like a forest fire."

Yukio reaches out and grabbed my shoulder, and I flinched. He let go apologetically, "you were swaying..." oh, I was? He continued to stare me up and down. "How does your head feel?"

I grunted, "everything's... off." I shook my head, upset at how narrow my vocabulary seemed to be. "Like, everything's muffled, or muted, yeah, that's a good way to describe it. Like I hearing through a tube, and I'm looking through some sort of sunglasses, and my body doesn't feel like mine." I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair, the feeling sending shivers up my spine. "Even just doing that, I feel like I'm being overloaded with stimuli, but I could handle so much before..." That didn't make sense, it just seemed as tho I was sick, everything was too much, but literally nothing was happening to me.

"So..." our father hummed, he was thoughtful now. A hand scratching at his goatee. "Your threshold for everything has been, what, halved?"

I groaned, "yes! Basically like that! It's annoying." Like my voice, have I always sounded like that? Abruptly, something hit me in the head and I stumbled to the side and toppled onto my knees, "ow! What the hell?!" I grunted and cast my eyes in the direction of the cursed object. It was the phone Dad had given me before, where had it come from. "Who threw that?"

Both of them were shaking their heads, and I was becoming more and more anxious as to why they were being so standoffish. "Son, you would've caught that any other day." Dad rubbed his face, and I looked up at my brother, who seemed just as worried. I clumsily got to my feet and staggered slightly, not helping my case any.

"Knock it off, guys. What are you getting at?"

Yukio shifted his crutch, "Rin, I sprained my ankle when I snapped the kurikara in half."

I made a face at him, "the kurikara? That clunky ass sword Dad showed me?" I shook my head, "I'm sorry you hurt your ankle, but why did you break it. And what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Rin," my gaze shifted and watched dad as he motioned me over. "Let's clear the air."

.oOo.

I sat there, mouth agape, in utter shock. My two family members had been lying to me my entire life. And while they claimed to have done it out of love, I felt my checks flush with anger. "Old man," I said, calmly, "you're Paladin?" He nodded and I sighed, my frustration growing. I narrowed my eyes and turned to my crippled twin. "And you," I seethed, "an Exorcist?! I don't believe it. I thought you were going to school to be a doctor or something?"

He sighed and shifted in his seat, "I am, it's my first Meister, but I'm a dragoon as well." I stared at him still, a dragoon, like dad? Yukio with guns... that didn't sit right with me. "I know it's a shock, but it's the truth. I've completed all my training and I'm about to start teaching newcomers." His eyes shined briefly and I faltered, my anger fizzling out.

I grunted and stood from the pew, turning to look at my guardian. He's red eyes looked tired, and I felt something bubble up inside me. "So we are the products of demons?" He nodded and I ground my teeth, "Satan?" He nodded again and I began to pace, dragging my nails across my scalp. The idea that I was partially a demon child already had my skin crawling, but the worst of the worst? I grunted, turning to them one last time, planting my feet and staring at them both. "I want to be an Exorcist, too."

"..."

"..." My guardian and brother gave each other sideways glances, a discussion seemingly happening between the two. And as I stood there in silence, I knew my demand would have a negative outcome. However, that didn't take away the sting of hearing it. "No," his voice was low, and he barely met his eyes to mine before struggling to his feet, babying his sore side. "I don't think you understand the weight of that decision."

He was about to turn away, signaling the end of the conversation, and ultimately shutting down the topic for good. I couldn't let that happen, though, and found myself reaching out and grabbing his elbow, my tone becoming beseeching. "Please, father. I know how much responsibility this career requires. I know it's hazardous," it could even get me killed, but I kept that to myself. "But knowing what I know now, I can't just sit here and do nothing about it." My eyes flickered over to my crippled twin, the fact that his ankle was fucked up because of me.... "you let Yukio start his training when he was seven. I think I can handle this."

He didn't move from his position, keeping his expression concealed. I pleaded one last time and I heard him sigh deeply, pulling his arm from my grasp. "I have some phone calls to make. We'll discuss this at another time." My hand dropped to my side and I felt anxiety bloom in my stomach. He gave no inkling on which direction he was leaning, and whatever hope I'd had was slowly fizzling away.

I watched as he ambled away, retreating to his office and closing the door. After hearing the click of the latch, my eyes darted over to the only other body in the room. I traced his appearance, sighing in dismay, "I'm sorry you're hurt because of me." Setting my eyes downcast, I turned on my heels and trudged my way to the archway before his voice stopped me.

"I'd do it again, even if it meant I'd break both legs." I felt heat rise to my face. His words, however, settled in the air with some sort of double entendre hidden inside. I stood for a moment, sorting through the sentence before continuing my way to my room.

On the way there, I passed a small form, causing me to stop. "Did you know, as well?" I whispered to the small feline. His head turned upward, two small horns protruding from his forehead. His ears wiggled and he cocked his head to the side. "Did you know... about me?" He simply meowed and I sighed, moving past the twin tailed familiar and opening my door. I threw myself onto my bed, my head starting to throb in the process.

I grunted and shoved the pillow over my face, cursing the day I was born.