Abandoned

And there I was, standing in a Colosseum - or something like it, if my memory serves me right. It was a huge arena with massive pillars at every edge of the magnificent building. The moon was a bright red color, like a white cloth dipped in blood. Its light cast down upon the Colosseum.

What I really remember was a crowd of people sitting on the seating tiers, most of them standing and chanting a weird name at me happily. I felt my heart heavy with pride, like an empty sack filled with rocks. I felt like I was their Savior or something special - I couldn't express it.

But then, I felt a slight headache on my forehead. I touched it gently and rubbed it, but the pain started to increase intensely. I felt my hand sweaty, and when I looked at it, it was covered in blood. My vision became blurry, and I wiped my eyes with my hands, but it was still blurry. I felt myself losing consciousness, and my body collapsed to the ground like a tree cut down from its roots.

My eyes were still blurry, and my head was tilted to the right side of my neck. What I saw on the floor terrified me - it sent chills down my spine. I blinked my eyes to make sure what I was seeing, but it was still the same. What I was seeing was... it was... it was a mountain of bloody corpses formed like an island, surrounded by an ocean of blood. My eyes closed gently, unable to bear the awful sight I was seeing.

The next moment I recall, a light pierced through my eyes, gently coaxing them open.

Before me stood a man draped in a black cloak, its darkness radiating an otherworldly intensity. The cloak billowed around him like a shroud of shadows. He grasped a fiery brand, its flames flickering menacingly.

I tried to move my arms, but they were locked in place, as were my legs. I lay on a flat rock surface, surrounded by ten men clad in black cloaks, their faces obscured by the shadows.

The man holding the fire brand passed his hand through my hair, his touch eerily gentle. "I'm proud of you, my son Lucifero," he declared. "You've made us all proud. You fought valiantly against the SS-rank devils, overcoming your weaknesses as an S-rank. You emerged victorious.

"You will now possess the power of darkness and be reincarnated as a human. Your mission is to find the key to Hell, unlock the portal, and unleash the darkness to begin the war." "Understand?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.

The man raised a dagger high, poised to strike. Lucifero tried to move, but his body was paralyzed. The dagger pierced his heart, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His vision faded to black.

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Master, your son has been born!" Said a servant. Nikolai rushed from the grand hall to the room where his wife was in labor. The echoes of the baby's cries filled the air as he flung open the door. Inside, the midwives and the doctor were gathered around a monitor displaying perplexing bar charts. Confusion clouded his mind as he tried to make sense of it.

Petrova lay on the bed, exhausted, her forehead glistening with sweat and her hands stained with blood, cradling the newborn. She managed a weak smile as Nikolai approached.

Gently, he reached for his son, marveling at his features. "You're quite the handsome one, just like your old man. And those eyes—your mother's charm shines through you. I'll name you Danlis, after your great-grandfather. Can't wait for your siblings to meet you." With a proud lift, he raised his son towards the ceiling.

"Billy, what's the power rank of my son?" Nikolai inquired, turning to the doctor. Billy fumbled with his glasses, inspecting the monitor. "I'm still figuring it out," he replied hesitantly. Billy mind raced with worry, Did the monitor break? Am I seeing the right thing?" questioning the validity of the readings before him.

A midwife gasped, breaking the tension in the room. "I can't believe it," she muttered, her astonishment evident. Nikolai's anxiety intensified as he turned to Billy for answers.

What the heck is going on?" he asked Billy, terrified.

Billy became speechless. "It-it-it," Stammering, Billy finally spoke up. "It seems... your son isn't an S rank like his siblings, but rather an E rank."

Nikolai's shock quickly turned to anger. "What are you saying?" he bellowed, his fists clenched. His face red with anger and frustration.What are you saying? He's my son, my blood runs through his veins! How can this be?

Petrova covered his mouth, tears streaming down her face as she tried to silence him. "Please, check it again! The monitor must be corrupted! This can't be happening!"

The doctor shook his head, his expression sympathetic but firm. "I'm sorry, madam, but the same analysis appears on the second monitor. I understand this is difficult to accept, but—"

Petrova's cry turned into a wail, her body shaking with grief. "No, it can't be! This can't be happening to us!"

Nikolai's anger boiled over, his mind racing with thoughts of shame and disgrace. "What the hell am I going to do? This will ruin our family's image and pride! My family has always been elite, S or A rank. How did this happen?" He clenched his fists, his mind racing with questions and doubts. Is this some kind of curse?" he demanded, turning to Billy, his voice rising in desperation.

"Well, I can't say much about that since I am a man of science, and I don't believe in such things," Billy replied.

Nikolai cut him off, his mind made up. He knew he had to act swiftly, before the news broke out. If the media got hold of this information, it would spread like a wildfire, and all his enemies would mock him mercilessly.

The thought of facing his family, especially his siblings, tomorrow and explaining this situation was unbearable. It would be a disgrace, a stain on their family's honor. His heart began to pound for the first time, driven by a sense of urgency. He needed to do whatever it took to stop this mess from unfolding, to protect his family's reputation and his own dignity."

Petrova, I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice heavy with regret. "we have to get rid of this baby. We can't let this...situation tarnish our family's name."