Aaron's POV

    I stare blankly at the wall, wondering what do I do as Aragorn stares at me worriedly. Ever since that time I met Lucifer and that he gave me that choice to join him or die, I have been thinking nonstop about what is the right thing to do.

     "Hey Aragorn, what do you think? Should I join Lucifer or not?" Aragorn stares at me thoughtfully while reading the news report about what had happened in the kingdom where he was born.

     "Hmm? I don't know. It's up to you. Where ever you go, we all from Team E follows. After all, didn't we promise each other that we will not abandon each other like how others made us do in the past?" I nod, remembering that time when we made that promise.

---flashback---

     "Hey guys, I was glad that you guys were on the team." All of the others nod and smile.

     "Yeah. Do you guys still remember when we first met?" We all nodded and laughed, still remembered how we all met and had grown into good friends in just four years.

     "Hey, why don't we make a promise?" We all looked at each other and nodded. It was indeed time.

     "I promise not to abandon you guys when you need me or even when you don't need me," I promised and the others also gave their promise and we all smiled, looking at each other in the eye.

     "Don't ever break the promise, guys," I said and we all nodded, being serious and sober as we all hugged each other like how family members did.

---flashback over---

     "I don't know though. I felt it in my heart that I should not follow Lucifer but I kept on thinking of joining him and gods, my feelings are so confusing." Aragorn nods silently and he speaks up.

     "I think you should find your dad. He will have the answers to that." I nod and turn to leave but Aragorn stops me.

     "But first, let's discuss it among us, the members of Team E." I nod and let a bit of my power out of my room. Seconds later, the others start to come into my room and sit down on the chairs placed around the table.

     "Let's start then. Guys, I need your help......" I begin to explain what Lucifer had told me and everyone stays silent.

     "Damn Aaron. I didn't know you were asked about this." Hikaru says and everyone nods in unison.

     "So now what? Should you go to Lucifer or not?" Yako asks this question and everyone starts to debate about this while I sit back, getting caught up in my feelings.

     "-ron? Hey Aaron? Earth to Aaron? Are you okay?" I sit upright with a snap and look at the person who asks that. I see everyone looking at me in concern and I smile softly.

     "I'm fine, Hikaru. I just need time to sort out my feelings and we haven't talked like this in a long time haven't we?" The others nod and smile sadly.

     "Yeah. It's been too long dude. I just wish that we were back to 18 that time when we first met." We all groan at this when Yako says that and Yako giggle.

     "C'mon guys, let's just relax a little." We all nod and talk until lunchtime and I wave my friends on as they run to get lunch while I race through the halls to find my father.

---In the Headmaster's Studies---

     "-so this is it." I relay everything that Lucifer had told me to my father and he frown.

     "Aaron....." my father look at me in the eye before saying. "I know that you don't want me to advise you about this but this is your decision, not mine. Lucifer had approached me before with the same proposition when I was the same age as you and at that time I said no. I don't want you to go to the wrong side again but you are already a young adult and it is time that you write your own fate. My advice: Do not make a decision you regret." He stands up and leaves a letter to me.

     "Open it. It's from your mother." I stare at the letter in shock as my father give me the letter. I rip the seal open and smile a little because I know that my mum is the only one who makes a nickname for me.

Dear Aaron,

     How are you? I hope that you are fine and growing well, my young Aara. If you read this letter, I am already dead and I assume that you already know about your identity. I'm sorry that I could not persuade your thick-headed father to change his mind at that time but know that whatever he did is to protect you.

     I knew that I am going to die and that time when your thick head of a father kicked you out from Magic Academy and that time when you lived alone on the streets for one year. I told your father that he should not do something that he regrets but my advice never even reached him at that time because he still stood at his decision that being on the streets alone will help you to grow and develop yourself into someone stronger and I was just too upset. Blame me all you want but I just wanted to see you one last time, my dear boy. 

     I'm sorry I could not protect you. I'm sorry that I placed you in this position but knowing you, I always know that you will forgive someone easily if they give a reason, especially your father. I only hope that you will be the glue that will reunite our family together. Forgive me my dear son but I am not going to live much longer and forgive me because I will always love you. Take care of your father in my stead and live the life you want to live. I love you.

                                                                                                                                                     From,

                                                                                                                                                 Your dear mother

     I stare at the letter in shock as tears fill my eyes. I could not believe that my mother had died when I was alone in the streets. I stare at the letter in regret because if I haven't been that reckless, I would have been able to see my mother one last time and would not even hold a huge grudge against my father. I look at my father to confirm the truth and he nods, indicating that my mum indeed died that time.

     "I have been holding on to this letter for many years now Aaron because I want to see you and ask for your forgiveness and to tell you I am sorry for letting you go through this pain. I am not that good as your father. I deserve anything that you do to me. Kill me, yell at me or whatever I don't care......" I walk up to my father and hug him, crying on his shoulders.

     "I'm so sorry Aaron. If only I had not done this to you, none of this would happen....."I hug him tighter as I let myself cry on his shoulder, sharing the grief and pain that I have experienced all these years.

---At night---

     "You alright Aaron? You look like you have been sucker-punched in the stomach." Alviss asks as my friends all play Uno to pass the time while I stare at the wall blankly, still holding the letter that my mum had written to me.

     "Uh-Huh? Oh, I am fine. Thanks, Alviss." I continue to stare at the wall blankly again.

     "Uno! I won again, Aaron!" Yako exclaim but when she looked at me, all the excitement on her face falls and she looks at me in concern. Seeing Yako looking at me in concern, the others also turn to look at me in concern and worry.

     "Aaron? What are you holding in your hand?" I stare at the others and realize that they are looking at the letter from my mum in my hand. I just didn't say anything as Aragorn gently pry the letter from my hand and read it. I look around and see that the others have tears in their eyes after reading the letter. 

     "Aaron......" I just stare at them in the eye, trying hard not to let my tears fall but fail miserably. I feel hands hugging me from behind and I give a watery smile as I see my friends giving me a group hug while crying.  We all hug like this until one of us falls asleep.

----second day----

     "Huh? Say what now?!" I hear Aragorn talking to another girl and the girl nod in my direction.

     "Brother told me to choose an heir that will use our powers for good." the girl replies.

     "Are you insane?! This is not a joke, Amera! What if he loses control?! Plus, you are a goddess of the Light, the Light of the world as we know it and if Aaron uses his power for bad then the Light of the world will be gone and the balance of Light and Dark will spiral out of control!" The girl Amera shakes her head.

     "I believe in him, Aragorn, and maybe you should too." Amera walks away but sees me standing at the doorway, frowning. She smiles and beckons me to her side.

     "I will tell you the details later. For now, just take your breakfast as you need the strength for what I am going to tell you later." I nod and Amera pushes me gently to Aragorn who stares at her in stunned silence and she just walks off leaving me with Aragorn. I look at Aragorn, confused at why he looks shocked.

     "Maybe I will tell you later." He mumbles to me and I nod.

     "See you later in my room, Aaron. Amera and her younger brother will be in my room." I nod and grab some breakfast while thinking about what Aragorn had said earlier to Amera.

-----late morning-----

     "Aaron, I would like you to be the heir to Kien and me. We both need you to accept our power." Amera says as I stare at both Kien and her in shock.

     "Isn't it dangerous if you both are played into the wrong hands?" I ask and both of them nod.

     "Yeah. We both know how dangerous this is but we are willing to take the risk." I stare at them wondering why they choose me and they both smile as if they could read my thoughts.

     "I am the Goddess of Light, the Light of this world and my younger brother here is the God of Darkness, the Dark of this world. We noticed that in the few years after your ancestor betrayed the Nephilim Council the world had leaned into the dark side and the only way to turn it to normal is to make the darkness and light balance. We both know that you can do this is because we both sense the good in you that is so pure that even though you have the darkness, it will always be washed away by your light. We need this pure light to guide the way to a new future and we both know that you can do it although you doubt yourself and your abilities." Amera smile at me and gently touch my face like how my mum does it.

     "I know that you are still doubting yourself as you have felt pain like no other and that you do not deserve this. However, you do because you can feel other's pain as if you are them. People who can sympathize with others are good leaders as they do know the pain of others and is willing to change the present into a new future. So please, please accept our power. We all need you to change this world to a bright new future." She leans closer to my ear and whisper

"I know that your mother would want you to take this as well."

     I look down at the ground, knowing that my broken heart will still stay broken because I know that I only have a father that makes me still feel the pain that he had given me years ago and that my mother, my sweet, loving mother had died because of the pain of losing me to the darkness. I could still remember how easily I get swayed to the dark side and how I realize that what I had done and the mistake I made. I still remember how rebellious I was at that time as I wanted real friends and to believe others again but I get heartbroken, so broken that nothing could fix it back again. I let out a sigh and probably make the worst choice of my life.

     "I accept." Amera and Kien smile at me in delight but I stare blankly at them because I know that I could not escape this fate whatever this fate might be.

     "Okay then." Amera and Kien nod in sync and murmur in an ancient language. I stare at myself as I feel myself getting stronger.

     "Cool." I grin and Amera and Kien laugh at my antics. I laugh as Aragorn stare at me in concern and I laugh until tears run down my face. My laugh turns into sobs as I clutch Aragorn while crying, knowing that I would never be normal again because I know where my fate will go. I look at Aragorn softly and wipe my tears away, knowing full well that Aragorn will tease me for it and I look at him in my serious face, signaling to him that I am not joking around and is my leader face and he nods, looking serious as well. I tell Amera and Kien about what Lucifer told me when Lucifer and I met and they stare at each other.

     "Well, whatever you choose, we can't stop you as you are in control of your own fate now." I nod and thank them and Aragorn and I smile.

     "Well, I hope you are ready for your answer Aaron." I nod and we immediately fall into deep silence.

     "Well, I hope that I am ready for the consequence my answer brings, Aragorn." Aragorn nods and we both tell our friends about the new developments.

----Third-Day----

     "What do you think Satan?" I ask Satan as I told him about what Lucifer told me and he frown.

     "He is manipulative so most probably he will promise you what you want but in the end, he will never give you that. If you choose that path, you will have to face this problem. On the other hand, if you refuse, he or his sons will come after you. You do have to be ready to fight his sons as they are really strong but judging by the power that Amera and Kien gave you, you are strong enough to face one of them face to face but you have to show your true powers when the moment comes. Also adding with one of the fragments of the relic, you can get a large amount of power as long as the second piece of it does not fall into the enemy's hands. In other words, both options are leading to doom but only one will make you gain something but you will lose something in the end." I nod as he answers my question cryptically. I stare at him as I notice something is wrong.

     "What is it, Satan?" He looks at me with a pained smile and I know what's wrong.

     "Don't tell me that the Protector of the North needs to die." He nod and I could feel my heart breaks to pieces as he says that because I know the Protector of the North as he helped me before when I did not have a home and lived on the streets when I was 12. He saw me steal a loaf of bread and he just paid for the loaf of bread that I held in my hand at that time. I always see him as a hero since but I never got a chance to meet him after that as he was in another kingdom while I was in Xurenth. I see Satan stare at me in concern as I realize that I zone out. I quickly snap out of my zoned-out state and stare at Satan.

     "My point is that whatever you do, do it for the best of the people and yourself. Don't be the you who had made the old mistake. It is time that you be who you truly are, Aaron." I nod and hug Satan tightly as he hugs me back, humming softly at me. I feel my eyes tearing up because I know this song, the song that my mother used to sing me to bed when I always had nightmares when I was little.

     "Aaron, I always love you like my little nephew. Don't forget that." I nod and get back to the academy. I stare at the calendar that I have on my room's wall as I realize that this is the third day and in another 4 days, I have to make my decision.

-----Fourth day-----

     "Allen, what should I do?" I ask as I stare at the grave of Allen. I still remember that time that he hugs me as he gave me a gift on my birthday as he knew about my birthday and I still remember how I love it so much that I still have it with me. I stare at the gift that Allen had given me before, sighing as I do so. I still remember what he had said about his gift.

"It is a ball pen. Many in the rich community use it and I thought that you might need it for the future." 

     I smile softly as I recall that memory and glance at the ball pen again.

     "I will do what I have to do so that nobody will get hurt," I whisper to the wind as I made my promise, turning away from Allen's grave and go to my mother's. I softly kneel in front of her grave and take out the bouquet that I bought and I place it in front of her picture. I smile with tears glimmering in my eyes and walk away, finally making my decision.

-----Final day-----

     "So, What is your decision, my descendant?" I stare defyingly at Lucifer as he asks me for my decision.

     "I won't go with you, you damn coward!" I take a peek at Satan and he grins as I nod and slap Lucifer hard on his face.

     "You ruined my life. Making people hate me?! Making people disgusted with me?! Making me suffer humiliations and live my life not trusting anyone as I am related to you?! Maybe I should not have been your spawn from the start, maybe I should have been Satan's!" he growls as I say so and grab my face forcefully as he looks at me in the eye.

     "You are going to regret it. After all, you just rudely refuse my offer." He walks off as I collapse to the ground, shaking with relief that I was able to stand against Lucifer's wrath and was able to say what I have to say out loud. I feel hands around me and smile as my friends, family and the rest of the Nephilim Council with Satan in the lead pull me into a group hug. I cling to their hand, not letting go until I realize that there will be war and I reluctantly stand up.

     "Guys, this is not over. We need a plan, and fast." The others nod at my words and we all race to the meeting room to discuss a plan to protect the kingdom while I try to find the Protector of the North.