Chapter 14 – Grave Encounters Michael awoke suddenly, his eyes flying open as he sat up in his bed. Cold sweat dripped down his back, and he shivered slightly in the cold, night air. Calm down. He thought to himself, placing his palm on his forehead. It’s just a bad dream, nothing else. He knew it wasn’t, though. He had been experiencing a deteriorating sleep schedule for the past few days, using the stamina crystal to be able to last during the days without sleep. He did not know what kept him in this state, nor what he found that frightened him enough to wake him. All he knew, was that he felt watched, like prey being stalked by a predator. He couldn’t see whatever was afflicting him, but he knew it was there. That’s a worry for another time. Michael thought, smiling to himself as his body warmed under the thick sheets, before pushing them away and sliding on a fresh pair of clothes. It was time for a walk. He hadn’t explored much of the castle quite yet, choosing instead to devote himself to his training. Now though, he had some free time on his hands, and decided to walk the halls unimpeded. He examined the pillars made of a pure, brilliant marble, cleaned so perfectly it shone in the moonlight. He witnessed the brilliant views, seeing a full moon shining above the expansive city that lay beneath the castle. He would be out there soon enough, doing an assignment for the King. He continued his walk, enjoying the peace and quiet through the night. He passed through the library, the mead hall, the courtyard, everything he knew. Just when he rounded the corner though… He saw movement His eyes darted towards it, catching a hint of dark red before skittering off. Michael stared for a few seconds, before breaking into a sprint, quick to make haste as he tracked the creature. Every time he turned the corner, he could see another little piece of it, and he sprinted back from which he came. Just when he thought he had lost the thing, he heard an inherent giggling behind him. The creature was not human, he could tell that after just looking at it. Its slightly red-tinted skin blended in with the darkness, looking like the color of blood. Its face was obstructed in a horrifying smile, permanently sewn upon it, like a living doll. Its cheekbones moved much further beyond human standards as it grinned, its teeth showing razor sharp edges. Michael stepped back, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword as he unsheathed it, hearing the sound of metal on leather. “Who and what are you? And how did you get in here?” He asked aggressively, doing his best to sound confident and threatening. He pointed his sword at the creature’s neck, staring it down. The Thing only smiled wider, before throwing its arms out slightly “Name… I not know. What? Demon, Soldier of legion.” It said, its teeth grinding against each other, making Michael cringe at the startling sound. It chuckled, each breath a horrifying, heaving wheeze. “How? How is self here? Sacrificed self. Pledged to Demon Lord, gained power. No longer weak human.” Michael’s face paled. This… thing, was a human, and a demon, no less. His grip tightened around his sword, as he continued to talk. “You… sacrificed yourself to become a demon?!” He asked, shaking. The demon only nodded, smiling that same, horrifying smile. He angrily swung his sword, knowing he would hit air. It didn’t flinch however, feeling the sword near its neck. It only began to laugh harder. “Puny, puny Hero. Too weak. Must get stronger! I sense… I sense demonic mana. You have demon mana? Speak demon language? How?” The creature began to ask its own questions, which Michael refused to elaborate on, only moving forwards, towards the creature. “Ah, get it now. You traitor, evil being. Like me. We are one and same. Join forces? Can make world bend to will, find power, get stronger.” The Demon held out a hand, its face twitching with every syllable, sending a shiver down Michael’s spine. Michael remained silent, before looking down at the demon, who was shorter than his 5 `8 figure. The demon sat there, waiting patiently for an answer, when Michael swung his sword hard, moving faster than the demon could conceive, and severing its head with a flash of bright orange flames. It Flew through the air, flipping over several times as it rolled on the ground, before staying still, its cold dead eyes staring at him, still coupled with that never ending smile… He stabbed it again, just to make sure, and turned around, sprinted to find a guard. The guard gasped when he saw it, his previously gruff voice raising in pitch as he rushed over, holding it In his hands. “It’s dead” he said, inspecting the contents of the body. The demon had no articles of clothing whatsoever, but it did have a small keychain around its neck, which the guard grabbed in his hand, and held tightly, tears forming in his eyes. “J-John…” he said, his voice bubbling out between sobs. “Why’d the demon have this?!” the guard shouted angrily, his voice filled with despair as he turned back to Michael. He shrugged and opened his mouth to speak; “S-sir, I think he might have been the demon itself.” The Guards eyes opened in fright, and he inspected the body further, noticing little scars along its frame, fitting the descriptions given of John, and he fell back, defeated. “How did you know this? How did you find out?” he asked, desperately. “I didn’t, it was just an assumption.” Michael replied, his face downtrodden. “When I encountered it, the thing tried to communicate, probably taunt with me, and it sounded… sentient, like it was willingly partaking in whatever was happening.” “I-I see now… John was always so conscious about his lack of strength. Always believed that he was the weakest of the bunch. Still though, it pains my heart to see him turn this way, towards the dark path he took.” The guard got to his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Excuse my unsightly display, Hero. As a royal guard, it is not my duty to show emotion, so I must apologize.” He said that with a bow, directed at Michael. Michael raised his hands slightly, his palms facing the poor guard. “I’m sorry you had to be put through that. It’s always difficult to lose someone close to you.” His face scrunched as he remembered his lost family and friends, before releasing a soft smile. The Guard nodded, and stamped his spear into the ground. “A demon has infiltrated our ranks, no matter if he willingly chose to become one. I shall report this to Mistress Lorraine, as well as the higher ups, and inform them of your success.” He said, spinning around and making his way towards the royal bedchambers post-haste. “Guess I’ll just head back to bed?” __________________________________________________________________________ Somewhere in the City of Solaris… The orange rays of the sun’s setting shape was glorious, more than enough to fill anyone with its breathtaking aura. The nearby Chedonian Mountains blocked the Sun’s rays earlier in the day, casting the city into darkness. The sound of wood slamming against itself filled the streets, as people closed their blinds. If someone looked carefully enough, they would be able to see a bright moon peaking over the hills of the east, beginning to illuminate the night sky. Carts began their gradual shift towards the collection of stables and warehouses that lined the streets, careful to avoid thieves or thugs. Along the streets of the city lined several shops and vendors, who would sell unusual apparel or intriguing goods, eager to impress their customers. It was the hub of the Kingdom, and it was the dream of every merchant and trader to be granted access to its inner workings. There was one shop however, that often attracted a majority of visitors. This “shop” was not even a shop. It did not deal in wares or currency, but dealt in more… physical means. If one observed the place closely enough, they would see beautiful women and men. On occasion, they would be visited by a masked customer, given a handful of money, and would disappear for the night. The brothel was unassuming, looking more like a run-down house on the outside, sporting chipped wood, dry paint, and broken fences. On the inside however, the brothel consisted of wealth and beauty, its customers no doubt the elites of society. “You Bitch!” a high pitched, ugly snarl erupted from the man, as he raised his hand and slapped the woman in front of him. She cowered in fear, her body shivering and quaking as she covered a bruise on her shoulder. He snickered at that, slapping her again, seeing her face bury itself into the ground, unable to even look at him. “That’s right, know your place whore.” He chuckled, before moving back towards her, his exposed belly flapping as he moved. His clothing had already been discarded, the woman’s already torn to shreds. His thoughts moved away as he began to force himself on her, his power sending tingling sensations through his mind as he toyed with her body. He was in powerful, rich, gluttonous, and strong. He had everything he could ever want, and these people strived to take it away from him. “You stupid commoners think you can take our money, our wealth, hard earned and fought over for centuries?! How dare you even consider it! I am above you, I am your god!” he spoke with unwavering confidence and malevolent excitement, his eyes fixated to the woman’s screaming, shaking body. “You people are nothing more than slaves to us. You beg for our money and grovel at our feet, eager to serve. That is the position of a commoner, nothing more, and certainly less.” His monologue came to an end with a shudder, and he laughed harder. “Perhaps I will give your daughter the same lesson… I wouldn’t be averse to a new slave” he exclaimed, his face alight with pleasure. This caused a reaction out of the woman, who turned to face her employer. “D-don’t you dare touch my daughter!” she angrily screamed, before gasping and covering her mouth, as if it would erase the words from the past. Her eyes followed his eyes as they scrunched into a frown, furrowing his brow in thought. An evil grin flew to his face as he began to move towards her, sending her into an apologizing frenzy as he pressed down on her again. “P-please sir! I didn’t mean it! I wouldn’t ever dare question yo-“ her words were cut off as a knife quickly penetrated her spine, forcing her back to arch in pain. She screamed, clutching the still embedded knife as she rolled off the bed, desperate to escape. Hope however, did not arrive. Using two hands, the man grabbed the knife, pushing her further on to it as he lifted her, impaling her even further, and splattering his hands with her blood. Her screams grew more panicked as he placed his hands around her neck, and beginning to squeeze. His smile only grew with the sounds of her choking gasps for air, as she tried to desperately claw away at his flesh. He was as strong as iron. Nothing could get through him. He always gets what he wants. He was a god, and gods never back down