1 The One With The Darkest Wings

A place where there was no daytime, only darkness could be seen anywhere, anytime. Screams and cries of devastated souls were everywhere that could give you nightmares by just hearing their helpless prayers. "Save us! Please save us!" "Forgive us!" heard them say. Agony and regrets was with them for the rest of time.

Ominous laughs ricocheted. "No matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you." And another soul wailed.

The abyss was where sinful souls judged and persecuted. Most of them were involved on numerous heinous crimes and activities when they were still alive including inhumanity and immorality towards mankind with absence of remorse not until they face their inevitable death.

"Regret is always at the end, isn't it?" He muttered.

"Thirteen."

He turned away. "For you to call my name, I assume this is something indispensable."

"The Morningstar is looking for you."

He was surprised but that can hardly be seen with his emotionless face and dreary eyes. "Do you have anything else to say?" He blandly asked as he whipped the long and thick whip in his hands.

"I've said it all. No more, no less.

He headed towards the gateway leaving the dungeon to Elris' hands and immediately proceeded to the throne room. There he found the Morningstar, Lucifer mightily sitting on his throne with his legs crossed. "Ah… the abyss fearsome demon, Thirteen." He smirked. Thirteen sauntered to his direction. "I've received the message you relayed to Elris. Do you have anything for me to do, your highness?" Then he placed his right hand over his heart.

"I must not let someone like you to rot here in the abyss along with the filthy souls in the dungeon." The cressets lit up and flames grew bigger and bigger as if it was sprinkled with some gas and oil. "I will be sending you, Thirteen to the mortal world to guard your first human." The flames danced in conjunction with the Morningstar's appointment of Thirteen as a new demon guardian.

"I do not doubt you but this is so sudden."

"I heard you're aiming to be one of the King's successors. Why don't you show off a bit?" Despite of bland expression, Lucifer was able to see how hesitant Thirteen was which he found entertaining to his sight. "If you'll just remain as a dungeon punisher of those rotten souls, you will surely become as rotten as they are. Pathetic, isn't it?" At that point, the Morningstar knew he had got Thirteen on his neck.

"Those souls and I are like kittens and Cerberus, incomparable."

Lucifer grinned. "How can you be so sure? This is the abyss and everything can turn upside down in just a snap." He ambled towards Thirteen and stood behind him. "You might just wake up one day and you're not as powerful as you are today." He whispered. "When that day comes, you are no longer far from being useless."

"I won't let any demon of a lesser kind than me surpass what I have already done throughout of my years here in abyss."

"Well then, I assumed this is a 'yes' from you." Lucifer glanced at him with a wicked grin on his face. "So, it is always about greediness to power after all." He murmured to himself. Brilliance of power could blind anyone who wanted it more than enough. The Morningstar just served what Thirteen was craving for so long which made him a lot easier for him to control his demon.

"I am rooting for an applaud-worthy performance from you, Thirteen." Lucifer said. "Keep in mind that if you're impressive enough, you'll have your deserved reward."

"You can always count on me, your highness."

Thirteen flapped his astonishing wings as he flew out from the abyss. For the first time, he felt freedom beneath his wings. Those thick and dark clouds, and bloody-red sky of underworld went clearer and clearer, a sign that he was about to reach the mortal world in any minute.

"Did you mean that demon from the dungeon?"

"Yes my lord. The one who owns the darkest wings…"

Thirteen perfectly landed at the top of a skyscraper. From his vantage point, he could see towering buildings and the bustling city. He could no longer hear the cries and groans of weeping souls from the dungeon which has been replaced by the noise of cars and souls from living human bodies.

"Welcome…" He muttered to himself and smirked.

"…Thirteen."