Brandon Saloman was devastated.

His first born and heir Brad Saloman was found dead in his bed this morning. Heart failure the healers and specialists say, but he had a feeling in his heart that says that there is more to this than just heart failure.

Of course he can’t prove it, but the feeling was getting stronger every second. And the feeling intensified when a person that called himself Primo came to them, he says that he is loyal to His Highness Adrius Caseo.

Thinking of Adrius, Brandon had conflicted feelings. He hated the man for getting his daughter pregnant without them getting married, and he loves him for getting his daughter pregnant. Because if his grandson/daughter does have a talent for magic then it will help the family a lot. It will make their name stronger because they are not a magus family their name isn’t that strong. But if they have amagus related to them by blood then it will change everything.

He discarded the thoughts and focused on the present. His heir was dead, his eldest child.

Brandon didn’t exclude the idea that he was murdered, because as much as he loved his son, he knew that Brad was involved with a lot of criminal organizations and most importantly he was a piece of shit. So it is not far-fetched if someone killed him in his sleep to get revenge or as a hit.

His wife was crying the whole day and was saying some nonsense like “That is my punishment”, “the damn magus did it”.

Brandon was shaking in fear when his wife said these words in front of Primo, he knew Primo is Adrius’ man so when Primo’s face changed from sad to a face of anger he tried to calm the situation very fast.

“Ser Primo I apologize for my wife’s words, she is still in shock. You know it is not every day you lose your eldest child, so please forgive her.”

Primo nodded: “ I will forgive the insult to my Master only because she is grieving, but if I heard her say such things again I will flay her myself and send her skin to my Master as a gift” Threatened Primo, his brown eyes flashing with fire. Brandon knew that the giant of a man would not hesitate to do what he said, after all he was backed by a rank 3 magus apprentice.

“ I thank you for this, now may I know why you are here?” Asked Brandon expecting an answer like ‘to protect my Master’s child and his mother’ but he was shocked by the answer.

“I’m here to marry Lady Veronica at the behest of my Master, and to bring her with me to my castle which was gifted to me by my Master” His tone was like he was sure he would marry Veronica whether Brandon liked it or not.

Brandon was sheathing with anger, this magus was playing with their life like it was just something he owns.

“And why should I let you marry my daughter? My daughter is already His Highness’ lover, so why would I give her to someone like you” He said in his Lord voice trying to frighten the man.

The man just smiled at him like he was a fool: “ First I will marry your daughter whether you like it or not, in my orders Master told me that if you do not give in then I have permission to unleash my forces on your house. Second, I’m a Great knight so what can you do to me?”

Brandon was shocked, great knight? This little boy was a great knight? What is happening to the world. And forces? What forces?

“What forces are you talking about exactly and who are you anyway?”

“Well, my organisation of course, and how rude of me not to introduce myself. Lord Brandon I present myself Primo, leader and Blood King to Blood Raven. Nice to meet you”

Brandon was shocked, Blood Raven? The criminal organisation that took over his city’s underground world in a matter of a year? And it’s leader it’s sitting in front of him. But what did he call Adrius, he called him his master. So Adrius is the man who made Blood Raven, and a week after his departure his son and heir dies and this man comes to marry his daughter. At that moment Brandon connected the dots.

His other son and wife were not here, his wife walked out in a huff and his son was in his room for the whole day after he heard the death of his older brother.

He started to stand up but was stopped when two knives pierced his thighs immobilising him.

“You monster, you killed Brad, and now you are going to kill Chris and Alison. Why?” He screamed at the man named Primo.

“Why? So my Master takes over the city of course, did you really think that he loves your pathetic daughter? And don’t try to move to save little Chris and Alison, because as we speak Chris’ body is being burnt and Alison is being flayed. So don’t resist and wait patiently.”

“You Fucker, Chris is 6 years old. You are a monster” Brandon screamed with tears in his eyes.

Primo laughed again: “ It is ‘was’ not ‘is’, because as I told you he is already dead. And don’t worry he didn’t feel anything, poison killed him in a matter of seconds. As for you, you will feel everything.”

At that moment Brandon started to feel a burning sensation from his thighs, the sensation only got stronger every second and it started to spread to other parts of his body.

“ What did you put in my body?” He almost screamed, the pain was getting unbearable.

“Well, to your honor you have been poisoned with my Master’s masterpiece. Poison of eternal pain.”

Brandon didn’t question him more, not because he didn’t want to but because he couldn't, the pain started to kill him.

He felt there were ants under his skin crawling and eating at his flesh and he felt his skin being pulled from his flesh but when he looked at it his skin was still there.

He started to scream and scratch his skin until his skin was pulled from his mucus but he didn’t stop, he couldn’t stop. The pain only got worse and worse until his mind broke under pain.

And finally he closed his eyes to rest, his throat was done because of his screams and his fingers were filled with skin tissue and blood. All of it was his own.

At that Brandon Saloman closed his eyes for the last time and breathed his last breath. Now the house of Saloman is his last child's responsibility, but he knew that she was a pawn in the magus' plans. He only hopes that she won’t die like him, and die quickly. Because there is no way for her to escape the monster in human form.

Before his concisnius disappeared he heard a laugh, a sadistic and evil laugh in his mind. The laugh stopped and the voice spoke: “ Don’t worry Brandon, Veronica won’t die anytime soon, after all she is bearing my child. But after she gives birth, who knows what will happen with her”

Then darkness swallowed him, releasing him from his suffering and from the conflicts in the world. Because death is not a curse, but a salvation.