[PI] You were 19 when you took over an orphanage, just 14 kids. The oldest was merely 4 years old when you took over. Today, a man came to you and told you that 7 of them are the blesses of the Archangels and 7 are blessed of Lords of hell. You can't see the resemblance.

A speck of misfortune had hit Little Star Orphanage. It was the only day in her life that she remembered fully. Every smell of ash, every haunting feeling that made her body want to evaporate, every scream from those who didn't deserve to die, all of it. She went from visiting her old home to arranging tens of funerals.

The orphanage was originally going to close. However, Elise wouldn't let that happen. This was such a beautiful place, and the remaining kids didn't deserve to be separated. Even if they were young, it was still wrong.

Thus, Elise became the new owner of Little Star Orphanage at nineteen. She was still a college student at the time, but due to generous sponsors, she was able to keep everything afloat. It was a steep learning curve, but she felt she had done the best she could with what she was given. Now, at twenty-six, she's helped Little Star become a welcome home to many children.

Today, she was scheduled for a meeting. A man was looking for particular children for a talent project. He offered a ton of money, so she didn't immediately dismiss him and allowed him to visit. There was something about his vibe that made him sketchy. He was in a big trench coat and a fancy top hat that made her want to cancel the meeting the moment he walked in, but she pushed through.

"Hello, Mr. Prophet. You're right on time."

"Madame Elise, I am always on time, Lord willing."

A religious guy, from the sound of it. She wasn't put off, but she remembered that in case his talent project was related.

"That's wonderful. Before we go down the list of children, did you have any particular hobbies or interests from them you were looking for? An age-range would also be appreciated."

"The fourteen." There was a certainty in his voice that she strongly disliked. She knew who he was talking about despite the vagueness. "They're the reason I'm here. You may not know it, but they're blessed by the seven major archangels and the seven lords of hell!"

Silence was the only respectable response to what the man was telling her.

"Look, I know it sounds...outlandish. But you don't need to look at me like a fool! I'll prove it." He took out a pen as if it was the holiest item in the world. Was this meant to anger her? She thought so.

"Bring in the youngest!"

Elise had nothing else to do, unfortunately. She made sure she had an abundance of free time for this, so she went and grabbed Lilah.

Lilah was seven years old. She was happy to follow Elise into the room. She sat down on a chair, enjoying her ice cream.

"Let's see..." He pointed his pen at her. After a few seconds, it lit up in a neon black light. "She's been cursed by a demon! It must be Leviathan, based on her blue eyes! We need to purge her, now!"

"What does purge mean?" Lilah asked, looking up to her with those curious eyes. "And what's a demon? Is it what makes ice cream? I want to be cursed by more demons!" She looked to Mr. Prophet, pulling out candy and handing it to him. "Here! You may not be cursed like me, but I can share."

Leviathan, huh. She knew a little about this stuff. Lilah didn't evoke such an image. The girl doesn't even like swimming. She doesn't even like drinking water. Not enough sugar for her liking. It's a stretch, even if the pen was supernatural.

The disbelief going through her must've been clear as day, because he started to get nervous. "Okay, okay! I won't do it...at this juncture. But, surely you'll allow me to test the others?"

She was glaring, she realized. Her body was still reacting to his threat, but she didn't think much of it.

"Lilah, bring in Emery."

"On it, Ms. Elly!"

Emery was a seven-year-old boy who was less pleasant than Lilah. While he wasn't exactly a bad kid, he could be a bit clingy.

When he came in, he sat on her lap.

"Big sis, who is he?" Emery looked at Mr. Prophet with the suspicion he deserved.

"A potential sponsor. Be nice, he seems like he's going through a lot."

"You truly think I'm deranged?" Mr. Prophet appeared offended, causing Emery to giggle to himself. The man decided to continue anyway and pointed the pen at Emery. Just like Lilah, it turned black.

"Cursed by a demon...I see! Kid, do you have a crush on anyone?"

"Um...yeah, but I'm not telling you!" Emery was nearly blushing now, caught in a trap.

"Then you must be blessed by Asmodeus! How could I have not seen it before?"

*Because you're delusional*, she wanted to say. Emery, Asmodeus? Emery was a kind kid who didn't play games with girls or dice. A demon such as that couldn't have cursed this kid.

She dismissed Emery and told him to bring in Milton. Milton was the adventurer of the seven-year-olds, always getting them to do things they shouldn't.

He nodded politely to Elise and sat down. He was always a perfect kid with her, but he never had this attitude elsewhere.

"The androgynous look, the kind brown eyes..." Mr. Prophet pointed the pen at Milton. Surprisingly, it didn't glow black. It sparkled with a white light that wasn't hurting her eyes. "You must be blessed by Archangel Chamuel! I will take good care of this young boy."

"Am I being adopted?" Milton asked. "His face is weird."

"My face is as normal as my intentions."

"And that is a no," Elise said. She hadn't heard of Chamuel, but Milton was too much of a hazard to leave alone. Not mean, like certain kids, but he was someone who poked holes in people. She could never tell what he was thinking.

Next was Sydnee, an eight-year-old girl. She elected to stand next to Elise rather than sit down. Mr. Prophet's pen glowed black, and he reacted as usual.

"You must be-"

"Cursed by the Arch-demon Belphegor?" Elise cut the man off, who seemed shocked. "Get a new line."

She was researching what these demons and angels were as they went on. She figured that would be his guess, and she was right.

The man coughed, looking at the young girl. Sydnee stared back at him blankly. She was a quiet girl, always playing pranks on people. If she were honest, her being blessed by a demon made sense. Sydnee often hid things if they were inconvenient for her. A kid often had many trickster traits, however, so that wasn't proof of anything.

Sydnee pointed at him. "Freak."

"Why do such children have strong opinions on me?" Mr. Prophet seemed to think he looked mysterious, when in reality it was weird to look like that. She was glad she was raising these children well enough so they could spot that.

The next girl was a special case, skipping in. Anahi was always unique in a few aspects, but she still loved the young girl. She sat down, vibrating with energy, unable to sit still.

While the pen was assessing her, turning black, she spoke. "Oh! You're the man mommy talked about."

"Mother?" Mr. Prophet asked, a fearful tone slipping up. Elise nodded.

"A...friend she has. You know the type." Elise pointed to her head to signify it was an imaginary friend. Anahi had a 'mother' who gave her advice, items, and comfort. She figured the girl had stolen these miscellaneous items, or the other kids were messing with her.

Mr. Prophet nodded slowly. "I see. Child, you're cursed by a demon. If I had to guess...Lucifer?"

Anahi hummed. "No idea who that is, sir! But mother said to do this..." She pulled out a gray pen with gold accents. She pointed it at him. "...if you called me a demon."

Mr. Prophet jumped, letting out a deep breath as he moved out of the way. When nothing happened, Elise stared at the man blankly. "Sit down. We have the rest of the kids to get to."