Kaiser or Kai is a child who doesn't like socialization. He normally skips out on events, neglects his fellow orphanage friends, and always sits alone by himself, hating the fact that he has to talk to other people.
Due to his unique purple hair color, bluntness, and overall non-caringness, Kaiser wasn't as liked either. He is young after all, only at the young age of 5. But his personality screamed volumes, louder than an easily angered old man.
On this particular day, he found himself sitting under a tree in the cold, hard mountains of snowy hell. He wasn't far away; he was actually a proximity to the orphanage's building. The orphanage owner, or his biological mother, was gone running errands at this moment, and the other children were playing far in the distance.
They were happy, endlessly giggling and throwing snowballs at each other, but Kaiser had no interest in that activity. He was already cold, even with the very thick clothing he was wearing, and he didn't feel like getting something chilling thrown onto his face. So he decided to just stay under the tree and mind his business.
But even though he always displaces coldness to others, there is one girl who can easily make him fold.
Noel.
"Hey, Kai! What are you doing?" She asks innocently.
"I-i don't feel like being bothered, go away." He tries to push her away, but fails to not stutter.
Even though he's young, and shouldn't understand the concept of love or a crush. Kaiser always gets shy around Noel. When his mother forces him to do an activity with the other children, he'll obviously try to do it alone, but Noel always steps in to be his partner. When he sits somewhere far from the children, minding his business (like now), she always comes up and talks to him.
He blushes and speaks quietly, and always looks away. While she looks at him innocently, wondering if the cold is making his cheeks go red.
"Kai, you should come and play with us sometime. Throwing snowballs is really fun!" She states proudly, reaching her hand out to pull him up.
"No, I won't. It's too cold," he gently pushes her hand away.
She sighs heavily, then her sigh turns into giggles. She isn't bothered, since this is their daily routine. He rejects her kindness unless forced by his mother, and she always pushes him to engage in their activity.
"Noel, come on already!" One of the children yelled in the distance with impatience in their tone.
"Coming!" She replies.
"See you, Kai!" Noel begins to run to the children's location, waving at Kaiser.
Kaiser face washes with relief, sighing and wiping the frozen sweat that secretly accumulated.
"Why were you talking to Kai?" One of the children asksNoell.
"You already know he's weird." Another added.
"Because he's a friend, MY friend." She simply replies.
Kaiser is viewed as a weirdo by the other children. They don't like that he doesn't come and talk to them, or the look he gives them when they get close. They also have a slight fear of him, always feeling an unnatural ease around him. They often stay away and talk about him behind his back.
"You shouldn't go near him," Another, older child replies, "I heard that he's possessed by a demon."
"A demon? That's just a lie," Noel crosses her arms. "How do you know that he is a demon?"
"Demons have purple nails, hair, and skin. And Kai has weird purple hair and nails!"
It's a thought in this world that demons wear all purple to represent the looming purple mist in hell. Demons are also described as lonely, distant, and weak-looking. But those demons carry large powers that can alter the very world they live in. Kaiser fits the description almost perfectly.
"And? It's just stupid stories adults tell to scare us."
"But it's the–"
"Kaiser is a normal boy like you. Mama Lyra says that people who don't say it to him are scared of him." Noel cuts him off.
"Fine, be that way! I'll just leave you be with the demon." The older child says, rolling his eyes and turning around.
"Come on. Let's play inside."
The group of children looks around, confused by the older child's demand, but takes no time to follow along with him. Noel just sighs, scratching her head.
At that moment, Noel felt confused at the children's behavior towards Kaiser. He's just a normal boy. I don't understand why he has to be called a demon. Noel thought to herself.
Kaiser heard all of their conversation and leaned over the tree. His face, from irritated to a look of exhaustion. –Demon…? yeah, yeah… They don't know a thing about me. – He thought, scoffing loudly.
Though…
His feelings were hurt, no matter how much he acted like he didn't care.
NIGHT
At night, most of the children were sound asleep in their beds, but not Kaiser. He was blindly watching the stars outside his window. He was repeatedly tapping his window and his foot.
"Kaiser?" An adult's voice called out.
He turned around to see his mother standing behind him, holding a newborn in her hands. She smiles and waves at him, but he blankly stares at her.
"You're up awfully late. Can't sleep?" She asks quietly.
"I can, I just don't feel like it. It's not like I'm pressed to catch some rest or anything… or that I need you to tell me a story…" He replies, looking away and back into the window, his voice quiet and almost pleading.
"But by the tone of your voice, it sounds like you're saying the complete opposite." She replies, lightly laughing as she runs a hand through her blonde, silky hair.
"Mom… why do I keep being called a demon?" He cuts off her laugh.
"Huh?"
"Demons have purple hair and nails. And look at me."
She sighs and walks over to his bed. She takes a seat right next to him, laying the infant in her arms, the bed in a comfortable position.
"Hmmmm… purple hair, nails, and eyes. Hmm…" She pinches his cheeks and begins to pull and grope them.
"You don't look like a demon. And you don't have the smell of one. So what's the concern?"
"…" He doesn't reply; instead, he proceeds to pull his head further away from her.
"I'm… just mad that I keep being called something I'm not. It's so annoying…!" He quietly replies.
"People say things to anger others, that's just life. I promise, nothing's wrong with you. You're just a unique boy," She removes her hands from his face, and pulls him into a tight embrace, and a kiss on his forehead.
She immediately stands up and picks up the infant.
"I have to go feed her now. And it's getting too late, you need to go to sleep, Kaiser. If it helps, I can tell you a story that you were trying to re-"
"I don't need a bedtime story! Goodnight!"
"Okay, okay!" She quickly makes her way out of the door.
***
"Wow, it's been plenty of years since I've been here. Can't wait to see you again, Kaiser."
A man stood on top of the orphanage's building, covered in shadows to hide his appearance.
His voice was soothing, menacing, and slightly crazed. He began to chuckle silently, and that chuckle turned into silent laughter.
"Oh, nephew, it'll be so nice to see you grown up…"