Madness

Night approached, waning over the world of Alos that welcomed the coming darkness. The fire crackles flickered back and forth within the dwelling of Zariel Snow, who remained resting on a couch with a cold grimace. Fingers clenched, jaw tight, and shoulders tensed, he stared at the fire.

Despite the distance over the fireplace, he could still feel the flames that once seared his soul, still smell the brimstone ebbing from his very being. Despite being free, Zariel still felt the madness of the Hells cling to his soul like dry rot. The madness penetrated his soul, breeding only chaos that constantly tore at his mind, twisting his reality.

He laughed, sending shivers to those who had the misfortune of hearing such a broken song. Tears of brimstone bled from his eyes, staining his snow-white tunic black. He cursed, wiping the tears.

"What the hell has got into me," he swore, swiping his hand over the flames extinguishing them. But as he looked at the crackles of embers glow, words he held dear to his heart spilled out. "Mephisto, why did you torture me?"

"Oh?" Said the Trickster. " What's brought this on? As Aurelia's words cut so deep in you?"

A scuff escaped the young lord. "You and I both know she's not the reason. I…" he paused, trying to find the words. "I just want to know."

"Truthfully. It was to ensure no demon nor devil manipulated you. Myself included." He replied softly, a bit of hesitation in his tone. " I needed you strong. I needed to ensure no matter what was done to you, you could brush it off without a care."

A lingering smile appeared at the corner of Zariels lips, peering at the rising smoke. " Did it work?"

"Does it matter?"

He laughed, allowing the tears of brimstone to bleed from his eyes. "No, it doesn't. I can still remember it, though. The first time you sent me into, what'd you called it? An Infernal Loop? Forcing me to reincarnate within a dream where I am both aware of my actions and not. You forced me to kill my Mother, sister, and brother. I still remember their cries of mercy, their pleads as their warm blood bathed my blade. There tormented wails as I laughed."

"You still cling to the past? I'd thought what happened when you gained astral force would have quelled such attachment." Said Mephisto, appearing like an apparition beside Zariel on a scarlet setee. He crossed his legs, not bothering to mask the devilish smile over his handsome exterior. "Do you hate me?"

Smoke dancing amidst the darkness, Zariel leaned deeper into his chair. "Hate. Such a powerful word, would you not agree?" The devil nodded. " I don't; it wasn't you who tossed me unjustly into the Nines. If you hadn't tormented me, another would have."

"So all is forgiven?"

Zariel, for the first time, gave a genuine chuckle. "You'll pay for what you did one day."

Mephisto snickered. "How about I give you a free hit."

'Huh?"

"Oh yes. All of my brethren get one. And I'll give you one as well. Some use it to kill me. Others use it because I cross a line; some need to relieve some stress."

"You just let people hit you?" Asked Zariel, unable to believe his ears.

"I've few real enemies. Solomon, that old swine hates my guts. But even he got a free hit." He added, shaking his head. " I'm quite a generous lord, especially when I rule the Eighth Layer of Hell. Father says to turn the other cheek, so I shall."

Although my revenge is always the sweetest: Mephisto thought, cracking a smile as a touch of pride radiated from his scarlet eyes.

"Did you have anything to do with my Mothers death?" Zariel finally asked, "you seem to hold some type of obsession with—"

"Obsession is quite a stretch, more like I'm curious. " Mephisto quickly remarked, cutting in. He stood up from the settee and walked beside Zariel, who looked up at the Fallen staring down. "You interest me because you are a being who shouldn't exist. That power you hold belongs to Father, and yet you, a Forth Tier being, born of two Forsaken, hold the power of the Weave at his fingertips. Your Mother's death had hurt not only you but me. To this day, I still don't understand how she died."

A sinister chill danced along Zariels spine, sending his mind into a spiraling frenzy.

"Scary, isn't it? " Said Mephisto chuckling darkly. " I stand at the peak of all creation. Yet I am blinded within the Fourth Heaven, the weakest of all Realm. I've only gathered pieces, but I hope you can find the truth of what truly happened."

Mephisto faded into the void, leaving only the passing embers of ash settling beside the fireplace, shimmering in its stillness and the embers grew extinguished.

Zariel picked himself off the couch and stepped onto the balcony welcoming the fresh breeze billowing gently against his silvery hair. He looked up at the moon, bathing the skies a rich silver.

"Think he knows I was listening," Zero asked, appearing from behind.

"You're always listening." Said Zariel shaking his head. "You don't understand the word privacy."

Zero didn't comment on that but fell silent for a brief moment. "Did that really happen? Did you really kill your Mo—"

"I did. And I don't wish to speak of it." Zariel said, his voice thickening with each passing syllable.

"I understand. I'll dive deeper into your Mother's mystery; however, I am worried." Zero mentioned, folding his arms over one another, "Your Mother was said to rival a Chaos Lord; she was injured, tormented, and killed. Some things aren't adding up. To be a Chaos Lord, the minimum is to be able to freely enter the wheel of reincarnation. Chaos Lords kill themselves all the time and start over. Why didn't your mom when she was captured by Titus?"

"What are you saying?" Zariel asked, snapping his eyes towards the masked man.

"Your Mother was also too young to be a Chaos Lord; that requires multiple Chaos Cycles. There had to have been another party involved in this entire murder both before her subsequent birth and after. And assuming Mephisto isn't lying, we can assume it has nothing to do with the Hells, but this group must be equally strong if not stronger if that's even possible."