There are a few memories that he could still remember from his mother.

The day was blanketed in a soft, gentle snowfall, and it had been coming down for what seemed like a day or two, although he couldn't be sure. As he peered through the window of their decrepit home, the pile of white fluff outside was nearly knee deep.

He was just a small boy then, and his mother had strictly forbidden him from straying outside, lest he be swallowed whole by the deep snow. His meager clothes offered little protection against the biting cold, so he was confined indoors.

But the child was bursting with energy, and the lack of space was suffocating. He would often rush around the room, clambering up on wobbly chairs and tables, running in dizzying circles until he was exhausted. After expending his pent-up energy, he would drag a stool over to the window and gaze out at the world beyond.

His mind was like a fragile, blossoming flower that has yet to completely bloom and grasp the world's intricacies. To him, everything was a kaleidoscope of endless beauty, full of dazzling surprise and uncontrolled excitement. He wants to run like the wind, to fly over the heavens like a bird in flight. His simple, innocent perspective was a source of great contentment and joy, even amidst the hardships of life.

He is happy.

He remembered that he was happy.

Laurem stared as the busy masses raced by, their destinations and origins unknown to him. His breath fogged the windowpane, casting a foggy veil over his vision. Frowning, he immediately wiped away the mist, only to discover that his own reflection was staring back at him.

Mirrors were a luxury item only available to the rich elite. For the impoverished, the only way to see their appearance was through still water or other shiny surfaces. Several others didn't bother looking at themselves at all, knowing that their everyday tasks would soon render their appearance useless.

After all, who would dress up and style their hair if their work requires them to get sweaty and dirty?

This was the first time that Laurem had seen his own face. He drew closer to the window, studying his features with intense curiosity. His attention was drawn to the two small, bony protrusions that jutted out from his forehead. Confused and alarmed, he ran to his mother, seeking answers.

Laurem's mother regarded him with calm patience. "Those are demon horns," she explained, watching as her son scrunched up his nose in confusion and touched the bony protrusions. "You are part demon."

Laurem's eyes widened in disbelief. "Me? A demon?" He couldn't fathom the idea.

"But Xiao Ran says... his parents say that demons are bad..."

The words of his playmate's parents, who had spoken of vicious demons that killed their eldest child, echoed in his ears. Laurem shuddered, his mind conjuring images of the grotesque and monstrous creatures that were very bad and killed whoever crosses them.

Laurem paled. "Does it mean that... I am also..."

His mother shook her head sideways, quickly reassuring him. "You are not a bad person, Laurem," she chuckled, affectionately ruffling his curly black hair and tapping the sharp tips of his horns. "Do you think you are bad?"

"No!" Laurem quickly denied.

"Then you are not," she assured him. "In fact, you're the cutest and most adorable little demon I've ever seen."

Laurem beamed with smugness at his mother's words, cuddling her tightly. If his mother said he wasn't bad, then that was good enough for him. He didn't need any further explanation; his mother was the only truth he knew.

"I'm a good boy, right?" he asked with a grin. "I'm your good boy!"

His mother smiled back at him, but then her expression turned serious.

"But, Laurem," she whispered, brushing her fingers through his untamed hair to conceal the horns. "You must keep this a secret because not everyone understands us...they may want to harm you."

Laurem didn't really get the significance of her remarks, but he nodded nevertheless. He didn't care about anyone else, as long as he was with his mother. They were poor and struggling, but their affection kept them alive. It is enough for him to continue living.

That is his dream - his ideal life. 

But life is always unpredictable and cruel, and Laurem's peaceful life was abruptly shattered.

One day, as his mother was carrying her wares through an alley, she was accosted by thieves who demanded her money. Fearing for her life, she surrendered the money without resistance, but the thieves were not satisfied.

They were drawn to her beauty and subjected her to a brutal assault.

Her mother is very beautiful. This kind of beauty made them humiliate her, touching her all over, leaving her scarred body alone in the cold. Her naked body did not last long, and she eventually died due to hypothermia.

Laurem could never forget the scene he found on that day.

The mother he cared for is now a frigid corpse lying in the filthiest streets, naked. However, the bruises and marks on her body are dirtier, killing not only the soul but her dignity. Laurem wept and pleaded for help, mercy, and justice, but everyone ignored him as if he didn't exist.

This kind of thing is a usual event in the slums.

Their life is much fickle than a fly.

Anyone could die anytime.             

While he was mourning his beloved person, someone suddenly bumped over him. This made the small child to be pushed in a distance, exposing his face and forehead. The people quickly recognized his demon horns. Even those who haven’t seen any demons could tell that the horns were from a demon.

The crowd grew frenzied, with some brave men brandishing swords and knife, advancing towards him. They have been fueled by their prejudice and hate and condemned demons as wicked and vile. Demons brought death and destruction and are incapable of doing good, and therefore deserved to be eradicated from the world.

Even if this one before them is still a child, he is a demon.

He is a demon. He must be killed!

Laurem's survival was nothing short of a miracle. If not for the demon blood that coursed through his veins, he surely would have perished on that fateful day. After fleeing the village, he made a harrowing journey through wild, trekked cold mountains, relying solely on his own strength and determination to stay alive.

Every moment, he nursed a burning hatred for those who had taken everything from him, vowing to one day exact his revenge. His demon heritage had saved him once, but it would also be the key to his ultimate triumph over those who sought to destroy him.

If he will die, he will not get his redemption.

Only by killing those people can his thirst be satisfied.

He wasn't even able to give his mother a decent resting place...

Laurem kept his demon horns covered, carefully hiding his real identity from the rest of the world. Without seeing the genuine thing, no one would suspect him because most of his features were human-like. His hair was constantly untidy and thick, covering much of his forehead and obscuring the fact that he had two horns resting on it.

This is enough for now.

Laurem found himself in a bit of relief while the frigid weather and his rising fever took their burden in his body. With his eyes closed, he had the opportunity to think about something other than his own survival. The world around him had become a blur, and the only thing that mattered now were his thoughts.

He found himself lost in thought, considering a question that had been troubling him for a while. He pondered if the person he cared about would detest him if they found out he was a demon. Would they regard him with the same scorn that so many others did?

The uncertainty gnawed at him, and he couldn't help but feel sorry at the prospect of losing the bond he'd formed with this person.

The frail voice mouthed a barely intelligible sound, almost a whisper. "Will they..." he said, trailing off into silence, as if the speaker couldn't summon the strength to complete the thought.

Will Jin Wei also try to kill him?

The thought of Jin Wei discovering his true nature as a demon filled him with a sense of dread that he couldn't shake off. He felt the cold weather more acutely now, his fever worsening, and he wished that he could cry, that he could shed some tears to release the pressure building up inside him.

It was a childish thought, one that belonged to a small, helpless child seeking comfort from an older brother, but Laurem couldn't help himself.

Just then, Laurem's eyes flew open as he felt a sudden touch on his horn, abruptly halting his train of thought. He turned to look at the person who had dared to touch him and was surprised to see Jin Wei crouched in front of him. Laurem's breathing caught in his throat, and his heart began to race.

The fear that he was just thinking about happened unexpectedly.