Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Blood guzzled from my lips as I was left bound with a large hook piercing through my stomach lining. Lingering anguish twisting with each breath, burning with such torment, I dared not move.

I had not even lasted a day before those fiends carrying the power of the Abyss came, tainted by the laws of the Hells. I didn’t know how that was possible, but their powers were terrifying. It was almost like I was battling against Arsene. But an army of him.

Listening to my blood pooling as I left to hang like cattle, I oddly enough didn’t feel fear. Not like I thought I would. It was awfully serene here as I waited for my death in this darkness. If I die, it was one final fuck you to Arsene. That bastard wanted something from me. All the evidence pointed to it, and I didn’t care if I died or not. Not if it screwed Arsene.

I smiled and hung my head low. Letting my mind wander, I could help but think of —

The door slammed open, and radiant golden light pierced into my eyes, blinding me; agonizing pain rippled like a wave from my stomach. Grunting, I narrowed my eyes towards the young woman, who appeared to be no more than fifteen, approaching. She had long blond hair so bright it seemed a tad white. Her deep azure eye was radiant, but along the rim of her blue iris stood the scarlet glow of the Hells.

“Aunty said I can’t eat you!” She said, and my stomach dipped.

My god! I cannot catch a break. While I don’t care if I die, please don’t let it be that. To be shitted out would be the worst type of humiliation.

Sensing her cultivation around Heavenly Lord, an annoying sigh left my lips. There was no chance of escape.

“What do you want?” I spat.

“Mia doesn’t know.” She said, with a bright smile,” She is just bored. Wanna play a game?”

“You see the hook in my abdomen, right?” I pointed out, lost for words.

Mia giggled. ” Of course I do, silly. But—

“Mia!” A stern voice thundered, sending the little lass to attention. Standing like a pointed spear, she robotically turned her head toward an elderly woman, leaning onto a cane. “Who allowed you in?”

“M-M-Master!” Mia cried and pointed toward me. ” He called to Mia!~”

The elderly master’s lips hooked into a chilling smile. “Ten strokes with the iron rod for lying. Now get the hell out of here.”

Mia jumped with teary eyes, ” NOOOO!!~ Mia is sorry!”

“Out!” The Master commanded, her tone stern leaving no room for argument. ” This should teach you a lesson about lying.”

Large tears lingered over the lining of Mia’s azure eyes. She hung her head low and slowly excused herself.

Raising my head a little to meet the total scarlet eyes of this elderly master, I smirked. “Come to kill me?”

“You’re too eager, boy.” She coldly stated, stepping close with a cane.

“Drop the act. I hate how gods act old and shit. You carry the power to decimate mountains. Why act aged?” I grimly uttered, speaking whatever came to my mind.

“Because, unlike you, we are not immortal. Only the first generation or those whose bloodline is close to the source can live forever.” She foretold, releasing a tiring breath. ” I am a few-cycle-years-old coming upon a Dao cycle. The upper limit of my race.”

My mind hummed to life at her words. Thinking of all that I had seen, none of that made sense. Shouldn’t absorbing QI from heaven and Earth, or in their case Abyssal Qi make them immortal? How is that possible? All the hard work only to wither and die. Is it even worth it?

“You are a young one, not even a thousand years old. Talent is quite high, despite the blood you carry.” She said, sending me a measuring stare. “I can even sense a trace of House Lazarus in your blood. How strange, a dead bloodline exists within you.”

Lazarus? What the hell is that? And why does it sound so familiar?

“Anyways, my name is Astra Tempest.” She said, eyeing me in the eye.” And I wish to know who you are and why your kind has invaded our land.”

Moving my hands that remained locked by manacles, I pointed towards the hook in my stomach, ” I really have no incentive to answer you.”

“I could torture you.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” I said, rolling my eyes, unable to stop myself from smiling. “The amount of torture you can grant me cannot compare to what I have already experienced. I have seen my kingdom burned to a haze of ash. The people I fought for and cared for were slaughtered before my very eyes, my fiancee” I paused and shook my head, ” I have been tortured all my life. So aside from this little pain. There is not much you can do to me.”

Astra frowned, and a bitter smile seemed to skip over my lips. Tasting the copper at the back of my throat, I hung my head low.

“Never before have I seen such a broken man.” She said, her voice indifferent. ” But, boy, you have truly mistaken how deep despair can run.” She said, and laughter left my lips as my head lifted. ｂｅ𝚍𝚗ｏｖｅ𝚕．𝚗𝚎𝚝

“Funny that you are saying that because he is coming for me. And you, the very people in this accursed village, will soon be given two choices. Join the devil or perish in the most humiliating manner.”

“What are you—”

“Arsene Fucking Snow,” I cursed the name, “You want to see what a demon is, want to see the deepest of what despair can bring, then you shall. Kill me, and you will experience such misery you cannot even imagine.”

“That name yet again.” She muttered, and my lips arched.

“That name will be everyone’s downfall. You are of the abyss. So he may allow you penance, but a devil will always be a devil.”

Astra frowned.” What is it your after telling me this?”

“It’s simple,” I coldly said, unable to stop myself from trembling in anticipation as the hook within me twisted at my excessive movement.” I just wish to see Chaos—

Pure and utter chaos.”