"...What do you mean, you were never a child?".

Val closed his eyes, and the pulse over his hands grew slow and solemn. "A human child has to grow to gain awareness of themselves. A demon possesses that awareness since the beginning.

Therefore, a demon is never a child - nor an adult, for that matter. A demon is an immutable, yet fluid consciousness... I hope you can understand", Val whispered.

Adrien lowered his head. "So you mean to tell me that, at twelve, you were as you are now", he concluded.

"In the sense that matters to you right now, yes", Val replied.

"And that when you were born, you already -- looked as you do now".