Chapter 4 : Realm of the fallen

For dark beings such as the demonesses, divinity was both a curse and a blessing. On one hand, it weakened their dark powers and abilities. However, it was also crucial for increasing their levels of cultivation and unlocking greater strengths. Divinity acted as a double-edged sword - hampering their progress while simultaneously providing the key to elevate it further. 

This paradoxical relationship made the existence of Raza, an apostate with a trace of divinity being, an enigma that piqued the demonesses' curiosity, for they had never encountered such a unique condition before.

The demoness queen, Sinar, revealed to Raza that her primary motive for enslaving him was to satisfy her lingering inquisitiveness about his duality. The remnants of divinity within him served as an added incentive, should she choose to assimilate it at a later stage to augment her own powers.

"My name is Sinar, the sovereign of the Lust Tribe and the ruler of Afarin," the demoness queen introduced herself to Raza.

She proceeded to divulge the origins of her kind, "We were once humans, just like you, until we were condemned by the heaven and stripped of our divinity. Eons ago, God dispatched a hero, a king, a prophet, to seal our ancestral lineage within this realm as punishment. So, you see, we still reside on Earth, albeit in a separate plane of existence." Sinar's eyes sparkled with amusement as she observed Raza's reactions to her revelations.

The demonesses' unique circumstances had shaped their intricate relationship with divinity, making Raza's hybrid nature an intriguing anomaly that both fascinated and tantalized their curiosity, prompting Sinar's decision to beg the Fallen King to claim him as her captive and save Raza from his demise.

Raza struggled to comprehend the revelations Sinar had shared. "You were human? This is Earth? How is that possible? The world has never known about the existence of such a place. Our technology has mapped every inch of the globe, from the tallest mountains to the deepest oceans."

The sheer vastness of the realm they found themselves in defied logic. Raza had already traversed a distance comparable to crossing a medium-sized state in the US, from the point of their summonings to Sinar's palace. An area of this magnitude, larger than Hawaii, should have been detectable by satellites and mapping technologies.

Sinar clarified, "As I mentioned, we are sealed. We cannot venture out, and you cannot enter freely. Well, except for the fact that we warped you here using ancient sacrifice magic. This entire place is called the Fallen Realm, and to put it into perspective based on your memories, it is as vast as all the continents on Earth combined. Think of this realm as a shadow dimension, existing parallel to your Earth. You inhabit the bright side, while we are sealed in the dark side."

She continued, her tone slightly mocking, "Besides, the technology you pride yourself on is primitive compared to our magic, like a landline telephone to a smartphone. Our vicious appearance and this horrific atmosphere may lead you to assume we are uncivilized, primitive, and wild like Stone Age humans. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Sinar held up a ring, taunting Raza and making him feel slapped in the face, ashamed and foolish for his assumptions. The demonesses' advanced magical prowess and the existence of this hidden realm challenged Raza's understanding of the world he thought he knew.

"This unassuming ring is far more than it appears," Sinar explained, holding up the simple band. "It serves as a communication device, wallet, dictionary, map, storage unit, and even a weapon. Essentially, it is an all-encompassing tool that meets every need in my daily life and transactions."

Her explanation shed light on Raza's unspoken curiosity about the lack of familiar devices like computers, televisions, and phones in this realm. Sinar tossed the ring to Raza. "Here, you can have it. Infuse it with your blood while projecting your intent and will to bind this ring to yourself."

Raza caught the ring, foolishly scrutinizing every detail. "It's just a normal rock ring," he remarked, dismissing its supposed capabilities based on its mundane appearance. Sinar's advanced magical artifacts challenged Raza's preconceived notions about the limits of technology he thought he understood.

"What a primate you are," Sinar laughed derisively at Raza. "Did you expect to find microchips, processors, and screens? Keep this fact firmly in mind - this is MAGIC, knowledge far beyond what your science has ever achieved. It transcends the limits of physics or chemistry. Your shallow logic cannot begin to comprehend it." Her words dripped with sarcastic condescension.

Growing impatient and slightly annoyed, she commanded, "Drop your blood and project your strongest intent. While my time is plentiful, I prefer not to waste it on you until you prove your worth."

Raza pricked his finger with his newly formed claw, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the ring. Closing his eyes, he concentrated intently, firmly willing the ring to bind to him while Sinar watched with an expectant gaze. The ring briefly glowed a faint crimson before returning to its dark quartz hue.

"Did I fail?" Raza wondered, his eyes questioning.

Sinar's hopes arose, slightly surprised by the result. "Try again," she said, her tone shifting from earlier impatience and demand. "Use every ounce of force you can muster to project your intent and will."

Raza took a deep breath, forcing his gaze onto the ring. Veins bulged as his eyes sharpened with intense focus. He visualized nothing but his intent to bind the ring, concentrating with the same laser-like precision he used to aim his sniper rifle. An imaginary bearded dark skin man in gray robes became the target of his pent-up rage and hatred. Raza channeled those murderous emotions into his overwhelming desire to bind the ring, then let a drop of blood fall upon it.

SWOOOSHHHHH!

The ring pulsed with a brilliant crimson glow, emanating invisible shockwaves that whipped Raza's hair wildly. "MAGNIFICENT!" Sinar cried out excitedly, snapping Raza from his trance-like state of concentration.

"Now that is what I call a display of true potential!" Sinar exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "My dear human slave, congratulations. Despite your current human frailties and overreliance on external devices and technologies while neglecting the cultivation of your soul and spirit, you, my toy, have shown the potential to train in our ways of 'Magic' and 'Might'."

"Magic? Might?" Raza raised an eyebrow, confused by the unfamiliar terms. While he grasped the concept of magic from Sinar's previous explanations, the mention of 'Might' conjured images of a gym filled with hybrids pumping iron and squatting.

Sinar rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Your humans have truly regressed, losing touch with your heritage. Hercules, Captain America, Wonder Woman, King Arthur... that is the kind of Might I speak of."

Raza pieced together the reference, realizing 'Might' referred to superhuman abilities. His interest piqued at the prospect of attaining such powers, imagining himself effortlessly lifting cars like empty baskets.

"Far too shallow a comprehension," Sinar sighed again, sensing his limited grasp.

"A peak Mighty Warrior's power could obliterate the Empire State Building with a single punch." Her words sent a shiver down Raza's spine, a cool breeze grazing the back of his neck as he grappled with the immensity of such strength.

Sinar's revelations unveiled a world of unimaginable magical and physical prowess, far beyond Raza's conventional understanding. Despite his initial skepticism, the undeniable evidence of the demonesses' supernatural abilities kindled a newfound sense of possibility within him.

"Your display has proven your worthiness as a test subject, validating the exorbitant price I paid the Fallen King to spare your life," Sinar declared. "The investment can be considered to have broken even. I shall train you in the ways of the Warrior, for ascending to the ranks of the Majusi - the esteemed magic-wielders - is a near-impossible feat, despite the faint glimmer of potential you've shown."

Sinar's eyes narrowed, her gaze stern and commanding. "Do not squander this opportunity I have purchased at great cost. Disappoint me not, nor allow my investment to be wasted. The path ahead will be arduous - a crucible to forge your body, mind, and soul into an instrument of supreme martial might."

She paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. Raza could sense the gravity of the undertaking, the daunting challenge that awaited him. Failure was not an option; the price of Sinar's magnanimity was his absolute devotion and relentless dedication to mastering the ancient warrior disciplines, for the sake of having a grain of salt worth of chance to fight and escape.

"Your excellency, my queen," Raza nervously inquired, "what of my friend, Loman?"

Sinar's eyes sharpened as she responded coldly, 

"Do you comprehend the exorbitant price I paid to acquire even the meager divinity that courses through your veins? It cost more than the riches of this entire castle. When I speak of your 'little divinity', I refer to it as a mere chopstick's worth of rice to a starving man. Now envision the immense delicacy of a pious man, brimming with divinity, a keeper of the sacred divine scriptures - a true feast fit for a king."

Raza's heart sank as realization dawned upon him. "Loman...my brother..." he choked out, tears streaming down his face as he fell to his knees in anguished sorrow.

Sinar's words painted a grim picture of Loman's fate.

"Use your mind's eye to imagine that delectable morsel served upon a silver platter before the Fallen King himself"

The haunting implication hung heavy in the air - Loman, the keeper of sacred knowledge and a wellspring of divinity, had been sacrificed as the main course to sate the Fallen King's insatiable hunger. Raza's world crumbled as he mourned the loss of his dearest friend and brother.