Intro into the world and powers XIII

Dante had always been a weird kid, even by this world's standards. Maybe it was because fate wanted to punish him for what it knew he was going to do, or maybe he was just a simply twisted individual.

The first thing Dante could remember doing was when he was a baby; he injured his mother while she was breastfeeding him just because she had the nerve to focus on his brother beside him. He didn't even know what he was doing, but he knew he didn't like how her attention wasn't on him, and he wanted it back.

Dante grew up in a lovely family with his dad, his mom, and his older brother by a year, which, if a regular human or any other species saw them, it would destroy all their conceptions and knowledge about the bloodthirsty monsters they had been told the demons were.

The year was 1575 when his mother first noticed something was off about her little boy.

Dante and his brother Apuls were playing in the backyard. She was watching them play, grateful for the choice she made because that led her to her new family, away from whatever nightmare she'd escaped.' No, don't think about that. It's over. I am never going back there'.

While she was lost in thought, something happened in the backyard. She heard a scream and looked up to see her eldest crying, clutching his head, blood spilling down his face. He then collapsed; she quickly ran to his side. "Apuls, what happened? How did you get injured?" she cried, pulling him into her arms, her mind still not registering the bloody object her second son was holding, its tip red.

"Apakthu, where are you?" she screamed again.

"What's wrong?" came the voice of her husband, Apakthu, who ran to the backyard to see what was happening. When he saw his son in Lorelei's arms, bleeding heavily from the head, he didn't hesitate. He scooped Apuls up and sprinted all the way to the healer in town.

As Apakthu ran, the people on the outskirts noticed him. Is that Apakthu? Why is he running so fast? thought Erebil, a fellow farmer. He dropped his tools and followed him. Meanwhile, Lorelei carried Dante, her second son, in her arms, running after her husband.

"Belford, open up, please!" Apakthu yelled, banging on the door with his leg as he held his son.

Belford, who had been having lunch with his daughter, Erittel, jumped up when he heard the shouts. He opened the door to see Apakthu, an Uew demon he respected for his care towards his family, which was rare in their race, carrying his bleeding son.

"Get inside," Belford said immediately, ushering them into the house. He quickly moved to the dining room, tossing aside his daughter's lunch. "Put him here," he instructed. "Erittel, help me get the bag from my room."

"Okay, Dad," she replied, rushing off.

Belford was a healer of the Mullock clan, renowned for his ability to mend wounds and cure ailments. Mullocks were valuable for their healing skills, highly prized in a world where many demons had little to no healing powers of their own. Belford himself was an Adept-ranked healer—one of the best—but, instead of working for the nobles like most of his rank, he had chosen to serve the lower-class demons who were often overlooked. He believed in helping those who had no other means of assistance, which had earned him the respect of people like Apakthu.

As the glow from Belford's hand began to pulse with a reddish light, he turned to Apakthu. "This is going to take some time. You should step outside and stop anyone from entering."

Apakthu reluctantly stepped out, though his heart was heavy with worry. Outside, he heard footsteps and turned to see Erebil running toward him. Behind him, Lorelei and Dante followed, their hurried pace echoing their anxiety.

"How is he?" Erebil asked as he approached, panting. Before Apakthu could answer, Lorelei began to shout, her voice full of fear. "How is he? Has Belford seen him? Is he okay?" She tried to rush into the house, but Apakthu held her back.

"Lorelei, stop!" Apakthu said firmly. "Belford said no one can come in. Apuls will be fine," he added, trying to calm her. He turned to Erebil, who was now at his side. "Can you escort her home?"

"What? I'm not going anywhere!" Lorelei cried, but Erebil gently urged her to go, sensing the urgency. With plenty reluctance but subsided after her husband mentioned taking Dante back home, she left, taking Dante by the hand. Apakthu gave a small nod to his friend and sat down, hoping for his son's recovery.

As Lorelei entered her home, her mind still haunted by the image of her bloodied son in her arms, she barely noticed Erebil speaking to her.

"Lorelei, you need to calm down. Apuls will be fine. Go take a bath and rest," Erebil advised, his voice kind but firm. "Dante, take care of your mom. I'll check on your father."

Dante nodded without hesitation. "No problem, sir. I'll take care of her." His words were calm, too calm, and it caused Erebil to pause, but he didn't think much of it. A smart boy, he thought before turning to leave.

Lorelei stood in the doorway, trying to steady herself, but something about Dante's demeanor unsettled her.

"Don't worry, Mom," Dante said, his voice too flat, too disjointed from the situation. "I'm sure Brother will be fine. At least now he'll know not to say you are his favorite." His words, though innocent, were cold and distant, sending a shiver down her spine.

She looked down at him, and her heart stopped.

Dante was standing there, his eyes now an unnatural, blood-red, staring up at her with an intensity that sent a chill through her bones. His smile—small, but disturbingly unsettling—didn't belong to a child. It reminded her of the grin she had seen earlier on his face as he stood over Apuls, bloodied weapon in hand.

A flash of horror struck her mind, she remembered, the image of Dante standing in front of Apuls, holding the weapon, that same twisted grin on his face.

"What's wrong, mother?" Dante's voice was soft, innocent even, but the coldness in his eyes spoke volumes.

Lorelei couldn't move. Her mind screamed, but her body froze. What did he do? The question echoed in her mind, and for the first time, she realized that her son might not be the boy she thought he was.