In the Realm of Night, three great races ruled the world—
The Guardians of the Screeching Abyss — Dark Elves,
The Nobles of Night — Vampires,
The Heirs of Darkness — Demons.
Violet found out the truth behind Luciel's birth; he was a vampire, one of the Nobles of Night, and the last of the House of D'Nocthera.
Two demons raided their cave and found Violet.
---
The cave echoed with attacks, one after another.
With every strike, the cave shook.
Violet hid with the raven, listening to the chaos, but then a loud explosion filled the cave with smoke. When the smoke slowly faded, Luciel was on the floor with blood beneath him.
He lay there, the deep red spreading like a carpet across the cave floor.
When the image of Luciel lying on the floor covered in his own blood appeared before Violet's eyes, her hands started trembling, her lips went dry, her eyes filled with tears—but before they could fall, a sharp pain struck her head.
It felt like nails were being hammered into her skull, woven with threads of forgotten pictures… slowly, one by one…
The pain was tearing her head apart. Her body forgot to breathe and even to scream.
"Princess! Princess! What happened?" The white raven looked at Luciel, then clicked his tongue. He started flapping his wings. "No! Princess, listen to me! Don't worry—"
Violet grabbed the roots of her hair and started squirming. A loud sound of explosion echoed in her head. Her vision became blurry and then completely dark.
"The pain! It hurts!" She crawled in darkness slowly, then started climbing through it until she saw a small light slipping through a crack.
"It hurts! It hurts! Someone help me, help me, please…" She reached for the crack, and it slowly opened. There she saw a woman with black hair and blue eyes filled with tears shining like sapphires in moonlight.
"I love you, my daughter…" The voice echoed in her head, and she cried out, "Mama!"
The demons turned toward the sound.
"She's there… we're done with him. Let's get our bonus too."
Before they could take another step forward, the red-skinned demon halted with a strangled squeak coming from his mouth. The green-skinned demon heard it and turned slowly.
"What was that?"
In an instant, he clenched his fists and jumped back, teeth grinding in anger.
He saw the red-skinned demon covered in bleeding red thorns, like a man wrapped in briar.
He immediately turned toward where Luciel had been lying in blood—he wasn't there.
"Where are you?! Where are you, you fucking brat!" the demon screamed.
Then slowly, red petals started flying around like ashes.
"I am not obligated to show you my face as the last thing you see. It would be a privilege for you…" The petals began flying in rage, slicing the demons into pieces.
The thorns on the other demon dug into his body and then vanished the next second.
He dropped to the ground, and silence returned to the cave, only momentarily…
"Mama! Papa! No, don't leave me!" Violet cried.
"Princess! Princess!" The white raven nudged her gently.
She was still squirming in pain, crying and hugging herself, shivering like the winter she had once forgotten.
"Mama… Mama… Mama…" She cried like a child, bawling her heart out. Luciel slowly walked toward her, confused. What was this emotion?
Why was she crying?
"What's going on?" Luciel pressed down on the wound at his waist. It was closing gradually.
"I don't know. I guess her memories are coming back, but maybe they bring her pain, so unknowingly they're being held back.
It's like a tug of war, with memories and pain on one side and peace—but a life without identity—on the other. Every path leads to pain for her."
For Luciel, "past" and "pain" were not words that belonged together.
He looked at her face covered in tears and snot. "Why are you feeling pain?" he whispered.
---
Luciel's POV
The pain is burning. Those demons really caught me off guard. I need to get stronger. I need to get stronger… to win back what is mine.
I pressed my wound and pulled out a bottle of blood. I took a few sips, and my wound began closing faster.
I looked at the little girl; she was crying and twisting in pain. He said it was because of memories…
How can memories inflict pain and hurt? You don't bleed when you remember something. You don't feel tired when you recall anything.
So why pain? Is this anger? But anger can't make you cry. How can one cry because of emotions?
I was taught only four emotions my whole life:
Pride,
Pity,
Fear,
Anger.
Pride for the blood I carry.
Pity for those without noble blood.
Fear for the ones who dare to go against me.
Anger for those who wrong me.
Any other emotion becomes baggage. It only makes one weak.
And it's true. Look at this girl—hurt and squirming in pain because of forgotten memories.
She suddenly stopped. Her eyes were half closed, her breath slow but heavy on her fragile body.
I knew she was human since I found her. I kept her around as a maid, but she wasn't even competent in that role.
How weak they are. Looking at her, I feel nothing but pity.
"How pathetic…"
Then she breathed softly, "Luciel… Luciel is hurt…"
When I heard her words, I felt something strange, like my heart twisting.
"She's worried about me?" The raven flapped his wings, and a pill fell out.
"Hurry, Lord Luciel, give this pill to her. It will ease her pain, and she'll be fine."
I was still thinking about her words. Why would such a weak creature worry about a noble like me?
Is she looking down on me? No, she isn't capable of that.
A girl who doesn't even like to hunt or practice out of sympathy…
I picked up the pill and gently pushed it into her mouth. Her cold lips touched my finger. I could feel the faint warmth of her slow breath.
I waited, then she opened her eyes, looking at me.
"Little gir—" I wanted to ask how she was feeling.
"Violet," she said with a smile. "My name is Violet." She spoke softly, smiling, but behind those eyes, it felt like a dam of tears was held back.
"Luciel, are you okay? Does it hurt?" Her hands reached for my wound.
"I am fine. What about you? You seem in pain," I uttered.
"My mama… my papa, please take me to them. I must return. They must be worried, they must be looking for me…" Her hands touched mine, squeezing them in plea.
"Luciel, what happened to them… please…" Finally, the tears started pouring out.
I see. I had a faint idea of what might have happened to her, but I felt nothing but pity. If she were strong—not riddled by the curse—she could have protected them and herself.
How these frail humans have managed to survive this long is beyond my comprehension.
She was sobbing uncontrollably in my lap, this little girl…
Maybe not so little—perhaps the same age as my fiancée.
The moment I remembered her, rage burned again in my chest. That traitor who took everything from me.
Why are they so different? That woman, promised riches and reputation by my blood, betrayed me. Does she not know the value of oaths?
This girl, on the other hand—frail, with nothing to offer—refuses to kill even a fawn or a nursing mother of an animal. What are these ideals? Ideals of fools? She needs to be merciless, yet she worries about me…
A chuckle escaped me.
Humorous…
Then suddenly, I felt a rising aura behind me. I turned and saw the green-skinned demon I had just killed standing again. In one of his hands was the limb of the red one.
"They've done it now," I muttered.
His body twisted in a gruesome fashion. The bones rearranged themselves, the flesh riddled with holes mended with the other's skin. His face distorted into something akin to a maddened animal.
Another limb grew from his body—frail, confirming that he had devoured his kin.
His mana rampaged, and he screeched…
A terrifying sound that could make even the strongest beasts cower in fear.
"So this is your vengeance…" I uttered. Before I could blink, he threw his kin's horn at me. It happened in a moment. I couldn't even react—this might be fatal…
---
Time felt still for Luciel as the horn was about to pierce his head, but then darkness covered his eyes.
"Is this death? No… it feels warm." The darkness lifted from his face, revealing Violet shielding him from death.
"No… there is still feeling in my fingers. I can still breathe… this darkness… this…" As Luciel saw Violet's body falling, something twisted inside him.
"Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" he cried out.
And then, chaos ensued.