Raising Children

Spending the next few hours locked in a room with Melinoe coming to an agreement regarding certain bipartisan treaties between our kingdoms. I stood to my feet with a tired smile.

"Shall we continue after lunch?"

Melinoe nodded, rising to her feet. " This is going slower than I anticipated. But fine. I still got to check on the Pale Lord. She can be a kid at times."

"A kid?"

"Little shit will tear up the comforters like a dog when she gets bored. She's a biter."

A little unsure how to respond to that, I nodded. ' Well. I'll send someone to prepare a meal of your choice."

"Come, Tene," I said, returning to my chamber.

"You really don't like politics," Tene responded halfway to my chambers. " How is it possible you are tired? I've seen you battle for years."

"I'm not used to caring. It's hard thinking about others. Don't see how people think it's rewarding or something. It's such an inconvenience."

"Arsene," Tene called, pausing my step, forcing me to turn. "Your children. Are you planning to give them the Throne one day?"

Looking down at the marble floors alongside the scarlet carpet leading forwards. I shook my head. " I don't know. But I am leaning towards no."

"Why?" Tene asked, drawing a little closer. I had noticed the distance but didn't call her on it.

"I want them to take it from me. I want them to defeat me." I admitted, raising my head to Tene, whose expression didn't show any sort of surprise, "Better yet, I want them to build something. I've never been a fan of the idea of generational wealth. I want to keep what I earned and took."

"Your brother gave you much." Tene fired off with cold precision. "He gave you a soul, unlike anything, to exist. A super adaptive ability that defies everything we know."

"That he did. But did that stop Sitri from stealing my wife? Tormenting her? Did it stop Lilith from bullying the shit out of me? Did it stop Raziel from coming after me? Zariel might have granted me an amazing ability, but I cultivated it.

"I will give my children education. I will give them world views. I will give them knowledge. But if they wish for power? They must take it. Man or woman. I don't care. If you want the right to exist in this world, or any realm for that matter. You must fight. You must take every opportunity available."

"I will not raise weak children," I promised.

"And the Abyss? What about the Kingdom being built at this very moment? I've seen it. And even from here. I can feel its aura pouring out of the Abyss."

Surprise filled my heart, and a smile lifted to my lips. " If they want the throne… They must fight me for it. I'll not deny it to them. And I think Lilith is the same. No. I know she shares the same thought as me. If they want the Abyss… They must challenge Lilith and me alongside every Abyssal General."

Tenebrae's jaw dropped. " All of you? That's—"

"If your mouth stays open for too long, I might just fill it with something." I teased, reaching for my trousers.

Like a little black cat, Tene jerked away with weariness in her trembling eyes. "Bully!" She whispered with a cute stomp.

I chuckled.

"By the time your child can challenge you, they will be—"

"Adults. They will be poised individuals with free will." I said to Tene, narrowing my eyes. " I will help when I see fit. But as it stands. I believe in survival of the fittest." I paused, feeling my heart tremble and my fingers curl into a ball. " I am ready for at least one… myself included, to die."

Tene's tense expression faded like snow melting into water. " You… Come. Let's talk to Kuro and Adrian. There in your office."

Grabbing me by the hand, Tene led the way with a comforting aura. I didn't need to say a thing. Tene could feel how I felt.

I came to a conclusion long ago. Death was near. Until I become supreme, I will forever be under the thumb of those strong than I am. And this didn't just apply to my children or me. Zariel and everyone I knew was a part of this.

I needed supreme power. Not the ability to be supreme, but true Godly power. I'm tired of being weak.

Sensing Tene push open the doors to my office chambers, I didn't bother to recognize the existence of the two children and found my seat at the head of the table that towered over them like a king.

"You two have a growing animosity that I've long since noticed," I said to Kuro and Adrian.

"Not my fault you brought home a bitch." Adrain went off. " I do my job. And I do it well."

"Only due to my oversight. If not, you'd not even know how to hold your cock." Kuro shamelessly chimed in an overly calm tone.

Is this a curse? Why is it… Oh, never mind.

"See a bitch? You should have left her eating garbage like a fucking dog." Adrain grimly announced.

"Enough!" I coldly said, bringing these two to their knee's as my aura erupted, shattering the small library behind me alongside my favorite office table.

Debris splinted the air as nodes of black light shimmered a raging intent of death. "You two are getting on my nerves. Adrian. Grow the fuck up. And control your emotions. Kuro. Learn to hold your damn tongue. Adrian is not your enemy."

"You don't hold your tongue?" Kuro muttered away, her fearless nature revealing herself as she dared raise her head.

Blood leaked from her knees as my pressure continued to spill into the air.

"But I've power. And you don't. Unless you got a means of escape. What can you do?" Glaring at the realization coming into her expression, I continued. " Adrian. Tell me your escape plan?"

"Calling to the darkness would not help. I'd need to use something like Creation Laws to draw a formation of summoning to distract you. Possibly demonic. Shadowstep won't work because you seem to have dominion over it. And the elements have no effect. So in case the formation fails to be conjured. I'd use this pressure to destroy the flooring."

"Excellent." I nodded. "See that, Kuro? You need him. You're not a deep thinker. But you're an excellent executioner. Far better than Adrian. You two have the best… compatibility."

Dismissing my aura and allowing the children to breathe, I leaned back into my chair. " Honestly, you two exhaust me. So from now on. You two will do everything together. Eat, shit, shower, and so on and so forth. Also, you will be on a mission with Seraphina and me. So get ready."