29

Black was a complete demon now, she could see a bit of herself in her memories but it wasn't completely clear. So that was what Silva meant…until she became whole, she wouldn't remember herself and since her demon was whole now, it meant a part of her was whole too. She wondered where Gallus and David were. She hadn't seen either of them, the last she saw David was when he dropped her off here and Gallus, the last time was at the party where he'd given her blood. She really needed to talk to him. She would've spoken to Nicholas but the old man took his wife out. Scarlett never really understood dempire love, especially Nicholas and Regina's. They were both strong and had authoritative auras. How they fell in love with each other, she wondered but she didn't have the luxury to ask about it. She knew no one would be able to answer her questions besides Gallus or Nicholas so she gave up on getting any answers to her questions any time soon. Her mind then drifted to him, his ice blue eyes remained like a fixed portrait in her head. She wanted to apologize for taking his book without permission.

She closed her eyes and then she found herself in a clearing and there he was, in the middle of the clearing fighting rogues and monsters all at once. He was using daggers and there was blood everywhere. Scarlett could fight but she wasn't so good with daggers so why not get a teacher. He had every reason not to agree to teach her but she would give it a shot and maybe take another peek at that book. He fought with precision and speed and within seconds, the rogues and monsters were all dead. Scarlett wasn't even able to see his movements, all she saw was something flashing and then a rogue or monster would fall to its death.

Seth looked up from the monsters lying dead and bloodied around and his ice cold eyes met with those grey ones he'd seen in his hotel suite. Scarlett regretted coming here instantly. She should've just gone to his penthouse…why did she come here? An amused smirk revealed his left dimple; he'd been thinking about her, he wondered why though? He also wondered what she wanted and how she found him here. He decided to ignore her and made a call for more rogues and monsters but stronger ones instead to be sent to him. A minute later, the clearing was filled with rogues and monsters of different sizes and kinds. As he fought them, he felt her gaze trying to keep up with his movements, it amused him, he dodged an attack from a monster and it went straight for her but just as it was about to attack, the scent of blood lingered in the air and when he looked up to see if she was still there, the girl was gone but the monster lay immobile on the ground.

***

Scarlett materialized in his penthouse; the black book was sitting in the glass case. It looked like a priceless artifact from the ancient times. The dragon twinkled under the dim light; it was like a magnet because even though she'd seen the book before, it always looked like a new mystery every time she saw the book. She inputted the pass code and lifted the cover of the case. Fortunately, surprisingly yet oddly, he didn't change the pass code. She took out the book and ran her fingers over the dragon and silver lights danced around her fingers. It felt like this was the first time she was seeing it. She felt a pair of eyes transfixed on her and when she looked up, her eyes met with a pair of striking ice blue eyes. She didn't sense his presence at all.

They held each other's gaze for a while before Scarlett returned her eyes to the book in her hands. Wasn't he going to ask why she was here? Or why she was holding his book even after she technically stole it? How she even knew the pass code in the first place?

"What are you doing here Reckless?" Seth finally spoke. Scarlett felt irritated. She knew she was reckless but did he have to keep calling her that?

"I came to apologize...for taking it and almost losing it," she said. She looked up at him and after a wave of silence said "Can I ask you for a favor?" Seth didn't reply. Scarlett groaned frustratingly. "I'm sorry about the book and for barging into your hotel suite and for coming in without permission okay? I…I just need your help,"

"What exactly do you want?" Seth asked. She didn't expect that question.

"Train me…please?" she paused. "I saw the way you killed the rogues with the daggers and I really want to learn how to use daggers," Seth raised a brow at her. Was she really asking him to train her? "I really need to learn how to fight with daggers; they're more potent than swords,"

"What makes you think I'll grant you this favor? You did steal from me,"

"Maybe I could do you a solid afterward, look I just really need to learn this if I want my family's throne back," if he was Gallus' brother then he knew the Devarian throne belonged to her family. She really needed to convince him. "Please…"

"Fine," Seth said. If she was really Draco then she would bring his mother and sister back as the solid she promised. "We start tonight, at twilight and end at dawn," Scarlett stared into his eyes, there were worse than Gallus', not even a single emotion. Scarlett materialized on her bed and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

***

Seth felt his body go limp from pain after Scarlett left. He felt like he was having a migraine. He was slowly drifting away from consciousness as the pain intensified. He let out an agonized scream and finally lost himself in the darkness of unconsciousness. He'd seen this before no…he'd been here before. These…these were his memories.

He found himself inside a magnificent castle. The walls held an ominous feeling and there were paintings that supposedly told stories, stories of people; they looked satisfied even though they were walking in a path of fire. The person leading them looked a lot like Nicholas Quinn. Another painting showed the man killing a demon and taking its blood. Then there he was, his bastard of a father.

He found himself in a bedroom in the castle; he saw his younger self, Gallus and David when they were younger as well, then his eyes settled on a woman who had powder blue eyes and dark brown hair with a smile on her face as the three boys ran and hugged her. His mother was part dempire and part human.

"Mother, please tell us how the dempires came into existence," the youngest of them said.

"We've heard that story a million times brother, how about a change?" the second youngest said.

"I haven't," the voice of a girl sounded in the room.

"Lia!" the youngest exclaimed and hugged his sister. "I missed you so much, our brothers have been sending me on a lot of tasks and mother hasn't been saying anything about it,"

"Don't mind him Nelia, the tasks are but few," their mother interrupted.

"I've missed you too David," she embraced the boy and looked up. "Gallus Seth," she called. She looked older than Gallus but younger than Seth. Gallus walked to her and embraced her. "Everything will be fine I promise,"

"You went through with it?" Seth asked. Knowing his younger sister, she went ahead with her plan even after he pleaded with her not to.

"My darling," the woman called. Lia turned to her and embrace her in a warm hug. The woman had tears in her eyes.

"You convinced her to go through with it mother?" Seth asked again. Gallus and David were silent. "What if I can't do it? What if it doesn't work mother? What do I do then? I don't want you trapped in there forever,"

"It will work brother, just make sure you don't let that witch kill any of you, I want all my brothers alive when we return,"

"What are you talking about Lia? Where are you going?" David asked. "You just returned,"

"What is she talking about brother? Where are they going?" Gallus turned to Seth who had his eyes fixed on his mother and sister.

"Mother what's happening? Why are you both fading?" David started to tear up.

"It's time mother, the spell has already begun,"

"What spell…what's happening to them Seth?" Gallus was getting alarmed. His mother and older sister were fading away and his older brother knew what was happening but no one was answering him.

"I promise I'll take care of mother, we'll be safe," Lia said with a small smile.

"Say something brother…why are they fading? What's happening to them?"

"If I can't bring you back from that abyss sister, I'll make sure you despise me by all means possible Nelia," Seth threatened. His eyes burned with unshed tears.

"I can count on you for that brother," Lia said with a sad smile.

"What…! Don't let them leave brother! Mother…!" David ran to them, he tried taking their hands but his hands went through their bodies. "Don't do this mother, please,"

"Send David to the Dracaenan castle, he'll be safe there,"

"No! You can't do that! No I won't let you…!"

"Goodbye brother," Lia said and they both vanished. Seth wiped away the tear that stained his cheek. A flaming anger burned through his eyes as he stared at the position his mother and sister once stood. He was going to make his father beg for death, he was the reason Lia resorted to this. If the bastard would not succumb to every wish that witch had, his mother and sister would be safe and with them right now. "We'll get them back I promise," Seth assured his brothers who were looking at him defeated.

Seth's head ached badly; he could see a slightly older version of himself screaming from pain. The room was small and red eyes peered down at him. Claws like daggers dug into his chest and ripped his heart out. His entire body was covered in blood. They practiced a lot of witchcraft on his heart and drained every drop of blood from it and finally threw it into a blazing inferno. It didn't burn to ashes instead it blackened, even though his heart was not in his chest while they did all that, he could feel the pain as though it was his body they tortured.

His body was hung above a bonfire; he was flogged with whips at the same time left to burn for two days. His scars that were barely even beginning to heal were covered with blood and when they were done, the witch his father had been infatuated with returned his blackened heart back into its cavity. Blood never flowed from his heart neither did it beat again.

Another flashback of when the witch locked him inside a dark and supposed empty room, it wasn't empty though, it was filled with beasts that looked at him with bloodlust and intense hunger. They ripped him apart, limb from limb and she always healed him afterwards. It became a routine for him. Gallus was the only one who knew what she did to him. David was safe in the Dracaenan castle just like their mother had said. The witch had threatened him that if he got used to her punishments, she would find an even better punishment that he would never get used to. Seth didn't think there would be any other punishment that would be as bad as repeatedly burning his heart and ripping his limbs from his body but the witch was hell bent on making Seth suffer.

She turned to Gallus and his was worse. She would place him above a blazing fire naked while monstrosities tore at his flesh. Gallus hung on the ropes that held him above the fire for three weeks unconscious, Seth begged to let his brother down but the more he begged, the more the heat of the fire was increased and then he just sat still staring at his brother burning day and night. And soon after Gallus stopped screaming in pain, she wanted David. She burned down villages in search of David and for her amusement.

"Why…why would you reduce innocent people to ashes?" Gallus asked one day.

"So it does prick you and here I thought I would have to burn down the entire capital but…I think I will, your brother doesn't look fazed at all,"

"Why would I? My heart is blackened?"

"That's true…" she turned away from him. "Bring me that girl," she pointed at a girl who had barely survived the arson attack. Seth hesitated before he materialized in front of the girl; he wasn't sure what his witch of a stepmother wanted to do but he doubted if this girl would be safe. He gently held the girl's arm and in an instant, they both materialized in front of the witch.

"What is your name young one?"

"A…Aerith my lady,"

"Lay her still," the witch ordered. Seth laid her on the ground. The witch moved to Aerith's burned legs and uttered some enchantments and within seconds, Aerith's legs were healed.

"Thank you my lady, I am forever indebted to you," Aerith said. From that day onwards, she was always with Gallus and Seth, she seemed to feel for Seth but Seth never paid attention to her, Gallus however was more approachable and soon, they grew close. The witch noticed it; she didn't like the new fondness Gallus had for the girl but she had also found another way to punish him. She made Aerith walk barefoot on hot coal when Gallus made a mistake. Gallus stopped talking to Aerith when he realized his new found love would be the one to suffer if he did anything wrong. He tried to show that he didn't care about Aerith.

One day he thought he had found an opportunity to protect his beloved when the witch was away so he sent for David and told David to protect her but on their way back to Dracaena, beasts were sent by the witch to attack them. David sent her on her own to the Dracaenan king, she arrived at the Dracaenan castle and gave Gallus' letter of plea for help to the king and then the king remembering his agreement with their older sister, took her soul and trapped it in the abyss as well.

David eventually returned to the Dracaenan castle, but he was a bloodied mess and then the king told him what his sister had asked to be done to all the women they would love as long as the witch still controlled them. He knew from the way Gallus begged him to protect her that his brother loved the girl, David had no idea what to tell his brother, Nelia had asked the king to do that for a good cause but what would Gallus do? The king placed Aerith, Nelia and their mother's body in the crystal fixed in the door to the abyss and told David to return to his brothers. Gallus was broken, his heart shattered into pieces. He went on a rampage and swore to kill the witch and the rest of her kind with his own two hands.

***

Seth's eyes flew open. His head ached and adrenaline rushed through his veins. He remembered everything. It all made sense to him now. He would finally finish what he started a thousand years ago.