1 Chapter 1

They all started dying before the rain, and like the rain, they continued to fall.

The rain fell upon the castle windows as the young queen sat with her two twin boys, who sat on either side of her. One had dark wavy black hair and the other had white--just like his mother, both with a blood dyed clump of hair in the middle. They looked upon the thick story book that rested in their mothers hands.

The fire, that burned in its fireplace, crackled while the family pet, Dante a Skeleton Hund, laid in front of the rug. Dante had the a skull of a wolf and the mangled flesh of a dog.

The white haired boy was connected to an IV pole and had a medical mask that covered half of his face. The prince was deathly ill.

With a drag of breath, the kind and beautiful mother began to read.

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest. Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood." The one with black hair sighed.

"Mommy, we've read this before." Vince sighed and crossed his arms.

"I like it, Vince." The weaker twin said in a raspy voice. Dante barked and rubbed his head on Eijiro's leg.

"Vince is right, Eijiro. How about we find another story for tonight?" The Queen flipped the pages in her story book. "What do you think we should read, Vince?" The mother turned her head to her son, who was looking through the book.

"Hmm.." with a second thought, he decided. "This one mommy." Vince stopped on another human story about a woman falling in love with a monster.

"Good one brother!" Eijiro smiled kindly, even though he did not see it.

Vince frowned and listened to their mother read. "'Step into the light' The woman demanded and the monster showed himself in the moons glow. Gasping the woman looked away in fear."

As they were reading, an Android dressed as a maid entered the room. "Excuse me, my Queen, but it is time for prince Eijiro to get some sleep." The android bowed and Queen Queen Irene looked down to her weakest son.

"Of course, Lela. Come now Eijiro. Vince, I will be back in just a little bit. Okay dear?" She caressed her sons face and picked up his twin and carried him too bed as Lela pushed the IV pole. Dante walked behind them and took his place to sleep at the end of Eijiro's bed.

Vince followed not to far behind. The large corridors often scared him to walk alone. The paintings of his father he never met, scared him. The one eye that they all shared would follow him until he moved out of its sight.

He reached his brothers room and peeked in through the crack of the door. He pressed his face in close and saw his mother leaning over his brother.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good, mommy." Eijiro replied.

"That's good sweetie. I'll see you in the morning. Mommy loves you." She cooed, caressing his face.

"I love you more." He smiled.

"I love you most." That sentence made Vince frown and walk back to where the book sat.

Not to long after, Irene walked back with a smile on her lips. "Thank you for waiting dear."

Vince studied her face. She wore an eyepatch over her right, as did everyone else in her family. Pink full lips and one bright eye that had a sclera of violet and an iris of white. Vince and Eijiro had the same kind of eye as well.

"Mommy, what are we?" Vince asked, deep in thought. Irene was shocked by her sons question.

"Well, honey, we are a type of demon called a Vessel. We are very rare and the last of our kind." She took a seat next to her son. "We are called Vessels because we hold a womb in our right eye. In there, grows a powerful demon that will one day be born, and when that happens, our lives will be at its end. But don't think your useless because our only purpose is to be a walking womb, your life is very important dear. We have to keep them safe for the great of our world. Oh, I'm so sorry dear, this is probably a little too much for you, I'm sorry for scaring you if I did."

His mother explained and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I see." He looked down to his hands that sat m resting in his knees.

"Honey, are you tired?" Irene looked concerned as Vince stood from the couch.

"Yes, mommy."

"Alright, dear." She picked her son up and walked him to his separate room.

Vince let her tuck him into bed as she kissed his forehead. "I love you, Vince"

"I love you too." He waited for her to say the same thing she says every night, but she didn't. She continued walking to the door. "Mommy?"

"Yes dear?" She look confused. Vince was shocked. He sat up and glared at his mother.

"Oh, I see. You love Eijiro more than me." He spoke.

"What? No, of course not. I love you both equally-"

"Shut up! You're always with Eijiro." Irene was shocked at her sons outburst.

"Vince, you know he's ill." She said sadly.

Vince jumped out of bed. "You've never loved me. You always favored Eijiro over me! Well...I hate it!" He pushed passed his mother and ran to his brother's room.

"Vince! Wait!" His mother chased after him. By the time she got there, Vince ripped the needles from his body and throw him the ground and start slapping his crying twin. A shrilled scream left her throat, startling Vince.

Irene immediately went to Eijiro's care. She cried, fearing for her son's life. Tears filled her eyes as Vince screamed at how much he hated his brother. Lela took care of the prince as Irene stood up and fumed as she stared at her son.

She struck her son's cheek. "I am disappointed, Vince! You could have killed your brother!" Vince stood there in shock.

She left him to care for Eijiro. Lela watched as Vince ran away, crying back to his room. She followed him calmly as he slammed his door shut and cried in the corner. A small flicker formed in his hand. Vince was too young to control his demonic power so sometimes it got out of hand.

Lela scanned his room. "Prince, your stress levels are rising, if you experience anymore, you won't be able to handle your power. Drastic levels are rising." She tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Prince, prince!"

In an instant, his room caught a blaze in a purple flame. Irene ran with Eijiro in her arms. Dante wasn't too far behind. "Vince!!" She screamed. "Lela, Dante, take Eijiro out of the castle!"

"My Queen, I can't risk endangering you-"

"Lela! That is an order." The Queen glared. Castle workers rushed out of the burning castle as Irene was trying to break into the room. She removed her eyepatch and glared. "Ahtar! I need your help!" Humungous spider legs crawled out from her right eye socket and roughly beat against the door, breaking it. She covered her eye again once she got in and searched through the flames.

"Vince!" She found him unconscious on the floor. Vince woke up once she picked him up and tried to carry him out. The fire spread to the main castle hall.

Irene ran as fast as she could. Before the reached the end of the stairs, beams from the ceiling fell in their path. They both screamed as the fire grew. "Mommy! I'm scared!" Vince cried as Irene tossed him over the beams.

"Run! Get out of here!" She cried, flinching at the flames.

"No!"

"Vince! ..I love you." She smiled, tears kissing her eyes.

"I love you too, mommy." Vince cried as well as maids ran in and pulled Vince out.

Irene fell to her knees and she watched him go. "I love you the most." She began to sob as a golden feather that seemed to appear out of thin air fell in front of her. Queen Irene wailed as she knew that she was not allowed to live on, for the feather came from her Creator, instructing her to lay down her life.

Eijiro, Vince, Dante, and Lela watched as the castle burned down.

Eijiro cried as Lela held him tight to her chest.

"Mommy!!"

"This is your fault, Eijiro. I hate you!" Vince spat at Eijiro as he ran away onto the woods.

Irene felt as her body heat up.

"I'm sorry, old friend. I know we had other plans. You should leave my body while you still can, Ahtar." Irene removed the patch.

A voice spoke to her as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Irene, I have enjoyed every moment with you. I would like to end it with you."

"Thank you...old friend."

The embers flew into the rain, and like the rain, the Queen fell as well.