Ilam was always more of the lone wolf type—technically, he wasn't a wolf at all. Ilam was one of the fallen angels that were cast out with Satan from the Kingdom of Heaven before Planet Earth was thought about—but he always kept to himself as if he were such a beast. Other immortals always travelled in groups of three or more. It was very important for fallen angels and demons to be a part of a group to decrease the chances of ever facing another immortal alone.

To become a demon, a fallen angel must first defeat another immortal—whether he/she be a fallen angel or demon—in a dual to the death. If you die then you were never capable of serving Satan in the first place.

For the past hundred years, Ilam had no intentions of participating in the initiation and becoming a demon. It wasn't his choice to leave Heaven but according to the others he lacked the motivation to be the perfect Angel. As matter of fact, he was the only Angel who possessed no emotion or feeling in anything he did. He simply did his duties as if they were chores but never hobbies. Now that he was thrown out of Heaven with Satan and his followers he spent his entire time practicing alone with his powers that came with his demotion of becoming a fallen angel. Although he was not a follower, Satan admired Ilam's strength and potential. He would often make deals with Ilam and sometimes attempt to manipulate Ilam into joining him but unfortunately for Satan all attempts were a lack of success.

Ilam actually enjoyed his freedom and decided that he would no longer follow anyone else's commands except his own. He was quite content with the way things were and had nothing to worry about until the day God had decided to create man. This was something that went far beyond Ilam's understanding as time went on. At first, when Ilam first heard about it from the demons, he thought it was a brilliant idea that God would decide to create beings that would only possess the purpose and desire to worship Him. Later on, Ilam notice that for some strange reason God actually gave these beings free will which meant that the unconditional love God had given them was rarely, if at all, given back. Even when it was returned the love was never mutual.

Satan and his demons, however, were having the time of their lives as they possessed and destroyed souls of millions. What a waste, Ilam would often think about the humans. He made no attempt to learn more about them. It was unfortunate for him that he would have to be surrounded by them whenever he wanted to walk the planet earth. He admired the planet for its natural elements but detested what dominated it; humans.

Sometime later in the year 2000, Ilam's reason for existing had become forever altered. One very late night in the month of February, a town house that dwelled in a small town in Texas was experiencing a terrible fire. The cause remained unknown to the people of the town but it didn't take Ilam long at all to figure it out. When Ilam approached the crowd filled with firefighters, ambulance, police, and scared neighbors that were surrounding the burning house, he could hear the demons that were responsible for the commotion. They were in the house while it was currently going up in flames but remained unharmed due to their immortal advantages. People were also oblivious to their presence, as well as Ilam's, as a result to Ilam and the demons' ability to become unseen.

Apparently, one of the demons thought it was a good idea to possess one of residents inside the burning home and as a result the demon-possessed human purposely started the fire and had currently killed one firefighter and three other residents of the house; no doubt they were also family members as well. While the neighbors were screaming and crying, the demons were still inside the human laughing their evil asses off.

"Idiots," Ilam murmured under his breath.

Without having anything better to do, Ilam wondered inside the burning house in search for the idiotic demons. He entered through the wall as if he were a ghost and landed in the hot burning living room. Black and orange flames were all around him tearing away the furniture and the walls. There were two big holes in ceiling showing that it was already starting to cave in. It wouldn't be much longer until the entire house would nothing but chunks of black wood. The demons' laughter was coming from upstairs along with the psychotic shouts of the possessed person. When Ilam reached the staircase he realized how impossible this would be for weakling such as a human to attempt. No wonder why the firemen had retreated out of the house. The lower stairs contains several pieces of burnt wood while many of the upper level stairs had been dissolved. Not to mention that the smoke and heat would have had any human unconscious if not dead. But Ilam had once lived in hell before earth was born and although he hated it, he survived it. So this was nothing compared to that.

At the precise moment he made it to the second floor, Ilam took in the human that was no longer himself. His blonde was all on edge, he wore nothing but boxer shorts on his dark-skinned body that was stained with ash, and he obtained deep cuts on his arms and chest. He was smiling and chanting something like, "Dancing flames! Dancing flames!" as he twirled in circles in the fire-lit upstairs hallway. Also to add to the abnormal sight, the middle aged man also held a butcher knife in his right hand. Apparently that was what he used to cut himself. He then came to a halt and looked towards Ilam.

"Ilam, our brother, come join us!" It was the demon known as Jamell talking through the human. It was strange to have a human address him when he was not in glamour form—which was what the immortals used if they wanted to be seen in the presence of humans. Humans were to never see their natural immortal form unless they were to be killed immediately after—what was even stranger was that Ilam was in his invisible mode but he had to remind himself that it wasn't really the human who was speaking to him but the unintelligent demons who were operating him.

"What are you idiots up to now?" Ilam said with his usual monotone voice.

"It's call being a demon, you too-good-for-us-bastard!" This was another demon known by the name of Salroy who responded this time.

Ilam did not show interest in Salroy's insult. As a matter of fact, he would barely waste his time getting angry at retarded demons such as them. He ignored Salroy and said, "Alright, you all. Your fun is over. As we speak, your master Satan is holding a meeting to discuss his next move towards the humans and was wondering where you fools were.

"And he sent you to retrieve us?" Salroy asked in disbelief.

"Actually no. I left them because his plans never hold any interest to me but I was passing through and thought you all would want to know about it." Ilam always found it easy to deceive the demons; which was another reason why Satan desired his service. It was a quality he really admired and respected about him. Ilam could tell that he already had most of them convinced. It was a total of five demons who were possessing the body.

"Shit! This is bad! Really bad. Master is going to chastise us for being late!" It was Jamell again. The other demons were already fleeing the human body and Jamell followed shortly after. In a blink of an eye they were all gone; leaving only Salroy obtaining the body.

Salroy said nothing but glared at Ilam through the possessed human's eyes. After a moment, he growled before making the human jump out of the nearest bedroom window. At that moment nothing was heard but the sound of shattering glass and the panic screams of the witnesses down below. Three seconds later, Ilam calmly walked over to peer out the window and he saw, lying on the concrete with blood and broken glass surrounding it, the idle body.

Ilam watched Salroy depart from the dead body. He stood up and dusted himself off as if he had just fallen in dirt instead of taking over the body of a living person. Salroy looked up to the window where Ilam stood and pointed a finger at him. "You think you're tough because you don't have to answer to anyone like the rest of us? I see who you really are. You are afraid that you will not win in a duel to death. You are Ilam the Coward! And it's cowards like you who I devour each day." He growled as he said that last sentence.

"Is that a challenge?" Ilam growled back almost lunging himself out the window. Insults he could endure but he detested empty threats.

"Whether you see it or not, one day you will participate in the initiation, Ilam. And I shall see to it that I will be the one you battle. And I will end you." And just like that Salroy vanished into the night.

Ilam shed away from his invisible mode and paced the burning hallway as his true form. He would have stayed a little longer just so he could calm down from his fury but decided it was time to take his departure as well before the townhouse completely caved in. The house was already making rattling noises that sounded like the end of it. It wasn't until then that he noticed a peculiar scent coming from behind him.

It was a scent of a human; another one. The room was overwhelmed with the scent of the possessed one, the demons, and black smoke earlier but perhaps once the demons and the possessed one left it became easier for Ilam to smell other things, although the black smoke was still the main aroma in the air. Maybe this is also why the demons did not notice the hidden scent as well. Otherwise, this human would have been killed like the rest of them. No, it wasn't dead. Humans maintain a certain scent when they are alive as oppose to when they are dead and this particular scent was coming from inside a coat closet that was stationed behind him.

Although having no intentions on saving the human inside, Ilam curiously opens the door and finds something he was and was not expecting. Not only was it a human but it was a human child. A caramel-skinned little girl curled up in fetus position on the floor with her eyes shut tight as if she were trying to go to sleep but continued to find it difficult to do so. She had to be no more than five. After a few seconds of Ilam simply staring at the girl, she began to slowly open her eyes and look up at him. It wasn't until the two of them had made direct eye contact when Ilam remembered that he was no longer in his invisible mode. What the little girl was witnessing was Ilam's true form.

Ilam looked the opposite of angelic. He possessed grayish pale skin with irises the color of metal and black wings that were each the length of his body and the width equaled half of him. If they were stretched out, they would have taken up the entire hallway. He also had fingernails that could also be known as claws; sharp and two inches long. His body was muscular and he was almost six feet tall. His jet black wavy hair reached down to his neck while in the front he had bangs that covered his entire forehead. Whenever in true form, he always wore black and grayish pants and shirt that were both made from a material not known to man or Earth but it felt softer than a bed of feathers and yet massively strong and has never been torn.

Ilam remained idle; not sure what to do. The young girl's reaction to him was looking as if it was becoming one of fear until she let out a really bad cough and passed out. Too much smoke was embracing her lungs.

Humans are such weaklings, Ilam thought right when time was up for the house to remain standing. The walls were shaking all around them and there was a hole forming in ceiling of the closet. Chunks of wood were now falling and aiming straight for the human child. But for some reason that Ilam didn't not understand, in that moment Ilam possessed a protective instinct and immediately yanked her out of the closet and out of the way. The little girl was now in Ilam's arms. She awoke once more just to let out a few more bad coughs before falling back unconscious. If she did not receive fresh air soon this human child would be dead.

Before he could finish his debate with himself on if he should leave the girl there or not, the townhouse was now completely falling apart as the new formed hole in the closet ceiling was growing enormously big. And without a second thought Ilam fled the house quickly with the young human girl secured in his arms.

Two hours later, Ilam was back at his private shack which was hidden in a wooded area in Peninsula which was the south western part of Europe. He found this location quite peaceful and less rowdy than what dwelt in the American atmosphere. This location had been his sanctuary for the past one hundred years and it looked every bit of its age. The shack was gray and black. The front door would give a loud squeak whenever use but the small house was actually sturdier than it looked or sounded. Only one room took up the entire shack. Although the shack did not possess much space, many years ago Ilam decided to build in a second room which was actually located underneath it and was the size of a master bedroom you would find in a mansion. Not to mention, it looked quite more modern than the rest of the house. There was no bed in either room because of immortals never slept but there were couches and other furniture such as tables and chair.

The human child was now lying on the old stained couch he kept next to the front door. She still had yet to awaken since they left the burning house. Although the house was pitch black due to the time it was, Ilam had excellent night vision and so he paced the small room unsure of his next move with the human girl. The small house also lacked electricity so there was no thought of turning on a lamp. Ilam never found any need for the most popular invention created by and for man.

Maybe I should drop it off somewhere, Ilam pondered. But will it be okay...I mean…wait...what do I care if it'll be okay or not? I am immortal. I don't have time to babysit; especially a weak little human girl. Somewhere, Ilam guessed, around five-thirty in the morning he heard the child inhale and exhale deeply before he turned around to peer at her. She had finally awoken and was raising her head up from one of the cushions of the couch. Ilam watched the young human turn her head full of black tangled curls from one side of the house to another as she took in her surroundings. Small rays from the rising sun were sneaking through the window near the couch which allowed her to make out what was around her. She continued to search the room until her eyes found him.

They both stayed that way for a few minutes simply starring at each other with no one saying anything before Ilam broke the silence.

"Are you well?" Ilam instantly regretted asking. What am I saying? I'm not supposed to take interest that. I just need to find out who I can take her to. That is if anyone she knows is still alive…I mean it. The last thing I want to do is get close to a human.

The girl remained silent.

"Do you speak?" He asked.

Nothing.

"You probably fear me. Do you not?"

Again nothing.

"Well you have nothing to fear. I won't harm you."

The young girl continued to stare at him. She didn't look frightened but simply tired and sad.

Ilam remained where he was; not attempting to move any closer. This was already awkward enough with the ten foot distance in between them. He made a silent promise that Salroy and those demons would pay for this. It was their fault why he was stuck with the child in the first place. "So…do you have a name?" he tried one more time to talk to her but to his surprise she nodded. She actually nodded.

"Excellent. Would you mind telling me what your name is?"

In soft husky whisper she said, "Yaz-men."

"Yasmine?" Ilam repeated and she nodded once more. He was finally making some progress.

"You look quite young. Would you mind telling me how many years have fallen upon you so far?"

Yasmine said nothing but Ilam could see her big dark brown eyes openly displaying her innocence and confusion. Ilam could see that communicating with children was not his forte. "I suppose what I'm really trying to ask is how old you are."

"Five." Her little voice was nothing above a whisper as she rose up five fingers to go along with her answer.

"Well, Yasmine, my name is Ilam and I what I also want to know is if there are any other family members you may have that I may be able to present you to."

Ilam was then given the silent treatment once more. Ilam wasn't sure if this was because the answer was no or that his choice of words were slightly above her level. So he simplified his question. "Do you have any other brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, or aunts who weren't in that house of fire last night?"

Yasmine stood quiet for a moment before asking, "Is Daddy still not feeling well?"

There was no need for him to ask who she was referring to. Without a doubt in his mind, Ilam knew that the young girl's father was indeed the man Salroy, Jamell, and the other demons had taken over, possessed, and killed. Ilam was beginning to grow angry. How the hell did I get in the middle of this? He had to pace around a little more while placing both hands on top of his head before answering her. Finally he turned back around to face her. Yasmine's face then held nothing but curiosity. "I'm afraid your father may not be around for a while now. Do you know where your mother is?"

No answer.

"Is that a no?"

A sudden growl had then begun to erupt in Yasmine's stomach.

"Are you famine? I mean, are you hungry?"

Yasmine nodded.

"Very well but first can you tell me where your…um…mommy is?"

"She said she was coming back for me and then she told me to go to sleep in the closet." The more she spoke, the less husky her voice was becoming.

In other words, Ilam thought, her mother is dead too. Great. Now this girl has no family. What the hell am I suppose to do with her?

And right on cue, another growl escaped Yasmine's stomach.

Ilam rubbed his hands across his face; a gesture indicating his stress. "Ugh. Okay, very well. I'll be right back but you must promise me that you will not leave this house until I come back. Don't even look out the window." He made sure he spoke slowly and as simple as he possibly could. "I won't be gone long but I have no food here for humans therefore I must retrieve some elsewhere. Do you understand me?"

Yasmine nodded.

"Okay?"

"Ok," she said back.

Ilam then walked past her and exited the shack with the front door giving its usual loud squeak as he bothered it. And just like that he went off into the morning hunting for food without having a clue to what human children ate.