♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱
There were many stories within the world of the novel that I read. Among the various stories, there was one that told about the first love of the demon king. The king of all monsters and the one who brought about the destruction of peace and balance. The one who caused the chaos.
Particularly, this was always my favorite story. The one that told in the sweetest way how Callisto - the king of the entire underworld and lower plane - fell madly in love with the purest being ever created.
The story said many things about that love, but among them was a truth that would probably never be accepted by the faithful few left in the place where the mortal world had once been: it was not the Black King's fault that everything happened.
It was God's.
"Ma'am?" The maid called me again, and I forced myself to smile.
"Just prepare it the way you think best, I trust your taste" I spoke finally, trying to get rid of all that and especially something as tedious as caring about the damn hairstyle she would do. After all... anything would look good on Asra, a being whose beauty was comparable to that of the protagonist. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about that story.
A prince who never desired the crown or the powers he was born with, and who was not only forced to the throne but forced to the pains of assuming leadership of a place he had always hated.
The truth was that the one who was named as the prince - and king - of the underworld, just wanted to be free and wander all over the multiverse. In the story, it was told that at one point he got what he so desired and threw himself into a portal opened by one of the infernal princes, giving himself the luxury of wandering around the planes to which he fell.
He didn't need servants or servants, he didn't need believers. All he needed was a little food and a few hours of sleep fairly often; if there was that in his new life, he would be content, with only his long sword as his eternal companion. But to the misfortune - or perhaps luck - of this young prince, he found himself in an ancient forest in the mortal world. A forest where God's favorite angel fell after disagreeing with his father about his love for mankind and his mistakes.
The angel, who was supposed to be the one who protects everyone, was a wreck, and the prince, who saw him practically faint, dragged the angel to his hut - which he had built little by little since the day he arrived in that place.
He didn't expect to have to take care of someone like that angel. Someone with heavenly blood, but in the end he found himself waiting for the angel to wake up, and when he did, the prince realized that he had never seen anything so beautiful as the sparkle in that being's eyes.
Little by little, the prince and the angel found themselves closer and closer. They fought like cat and mouse, ran and competed with inhuman frequency, and agreed on many things that they knew no one would ever agree on.
They were complete opposites, complete opposites, and at the same time they were identical. It took them a while to notice such an obvious thing, after all, they were thinking much more about how amazing it was to be next to each other, for them, it was like finally meeting another being who saw the world through their eyes.
In the story, the prince and the angel fell hopelessly in love and without malice or thoughts of possession, they gave themselves to each other. It was a pure, concise, and completely spontaneous union. They gave themselves to each other as if they were giving themselves to each other and the trust that the prince had for the angel and the angel for the prince, would never be seen in other beings.
It was the trust of a lifetime.
The trust that many gods never receive and would never be worthy of receiving.
But of course, if this story had a happy ending, it would not be Callisto's story, so... it was at this moment that things slowly began to fall apart.
The prince and the angel, who were living harmoniously, received a visitor. Raphael was his name, an angel sent by God to bring his sister home.
"Come," he said "it's time to go back, you know...there will never be your place and father misses you, sister"
But to no avail, because the angel now had something far more important than the wishes of a childish and useless God.
"I can't" she then replied and Raphael, who couldn't understand the reason for such a refusal, became angry.
"Why do you always have to act like this? Aren't you satisfied with all the attention you already get?"
"It's not about attention" she retorted, "I can't go back, because now I carry in me a new life" the angel then replied and both Raphael and the prince became surprised at such information.
"That's impossible," Raphael said bluntly.
"Our son..." the prince murmured, extending his hand towards his belly.
"I chose my own path" was all the angel replied and Raphael returned, taking his sister's death sentence with him. The same one who had protected him so many, many times.
The angel and the prince resolved to descend into hell and return to the place where he could truly protect them, but even though the child in the angel's womb was the fruit of their love, she felt something heavy in her chest when she heard the voice of her father who would curse the child that would be born to her and Callisto.
"He will die even before the 666th blood eclipse occurs and not even he who rules death can bargain about it, for even his soul will crumble at the end of his curse" from the words she heard from her father last time and along with that came her doom and death. Slow and painful.
The truth was that all this destroyed the prince's soul and as soon as his wife gave birth and passed away, his will fell to mortals.
This is how the physical and lower planes merged into one, and the famous apocalypse finally took place. But different from what some religious people expected, there were no horns singing and not even a single angel to save.
It was a pity that now, it was no longer just a story.
⋅• ♱ •⋅
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱"Who are you?" the childish voice questioned me, and bluntly, I stared at the little being who was sneaking around the gardens of the emerald palace.What was I supposed to say? It was obvious who this child was, for there, in the midst of hell - children, were rare. As rare as dreamy happy endings.That little boy was Loren, Callisto's son and his one true love until then.The being to whom the king dedicated his life and the reason he opened himself to Elaine. There were even some fans who said that Elaine was not so good and had blatantly used the boy to get closer to the king.At the time, I remember disagreeing and defending the heroine."I am Asra" I replied simply by extending one of my hands to him to help him stand up.The little boy wore black clothes that stood out on his excessively pale skin. There were reddish circles under his crimson eyes, and he smiled briefly as he took my hand."Asra? Like the phoenix that swallowed the deadly sun?"He looked exc
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Calisto ⋅• ♱"He's gone again" Azrael said and I felt my body heavy.What the hell was left to happen?Asra had practically thrown me out of her room after an argument where I couldn't even go against what she said."How can he run away again? What the hell are these maids up to?" I growled, sinking into my chair.Loren had been doing this quite often lately, and I knew in part that this was just a response to my actions, but it didn't get me rid of Azrael.He loved to remind me of this damned fact."Well, maybe...""Shut up" I spoke, interrupting him before giving him a chance to continue, to finish whatever the damn rant was.The truth was that Azrael hated Asra for all the things she had ever done, and I... well... I forgave her and I forgave her, because I know that it is exclusively my fault that Asra is the way she is.I condemned her."You really have no way" he grumbled, and I could only sink further into the chair."He can't have gotten far" I muttered
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱After that day, Callisto did not return to my room and did not even set foot in my palace, but unlike what the ancient Asra would do, I entertained myself with other things. After all, it wasn't just romance that the novel was based on, and I knew well that as much as it was a pretext for the main couple to get closer, there were problems to be solved throughout the kingdom.Fights in territories.Abuses of citizens by lesser demons.Tributes are being demanded in small villages in the name of the demon king.There was much that Callisto could not control, even more so when angels were trying to invade his castle and murder his son and Loren... well, little Loren was doomed.He needed time.In the original story, it was up to Elaine to discover these facts together with Azrael and little by little solve them. It was one of the things that made Callisto see her with new eyes.Like the sweet and gentle person, she was the person who cared about mortals even when they
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱I didn't expect it to be so easy to be with Asmodeus, but when he sat down in front of me and tea was served, it all seemed too ordinary.Not something creepy like being in casual conversation with one of the scariest and most powerful demons in all of Hell and the novel universe I've read, but like being with a friend from a long, long time.Was that part of the result of being in Asra's body? A part of her responding to the presence of her best friend?Well...whatever it was, it was helpful, since in the end I didn't feel pressured as he slumped in his chair like a careless teenager."This prince life is so tiring" he grumbled as he stuffed his own mouth with buttery cookies.Those cookies that the maid always left on the dresser and that somehow the body seemed to hate (even though I considered them partially tasty).Unlike me, Asmodeus devoured them like a gluttonous child."Tiring?" I Asked with a raised eyebrow. It was very brazen of him to say something like
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Calisto ⋅• ♱"What did you say?" I couldn't believe it. Azrael was surely wrong again."Sir, I don't believe you got it wrong."I needed to"Repeat it" I growled."I..."He didn't have the heart to speak, not after what occurred when he took the damned blessed being into my palace.It was an affront, a real attempt on Loren's life."I understand what you wanted to tell me that day" he hastened to speak "but this time it was Asmodeus' fault."Asmodeus.The prince of lust.He never meddled except when Asra got involved in something complicated and he stepped in or even took the blame. It was obvious that Asmodeus had no appreciation for me and he didn't try to hide that in any way."What did he do this time?"It was impossible that Asmodeus would be involved in anything dangerous or even problematic, but the truth was that I was unaware of the nature of Asra and Asmodeus' involvement. And that fact really bothered me."He took the duchess with him to the third ter
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱The third territory was synonymous with different. Although the sky was still the same and the people still walked the streets with the black sun making the day darker - everything was different.There weren't as many smiles on their faces and even for a world that had been ravaged by demons, that place was too dark."What happened here?" I muttered "I heard that..."Asmodeus held my shoulder."That it was beautiful here?"I nodded.Even when Elaine went to the third territory, it was different. The place was alive with all Lucifer's affection.The third territory was the refuge of many mortals who still cherished what was once an ordinary life. It was a beautiful place.Undeniably beautiful."How?" I questioned and the blond demon next to me shrugged."Maybe it's because Lucifer doesn't wake up yet" he said and his words took me by surprise."How? Lucifer hasn't... woken up?" my lips didn't even seem to want to move. Asmodeus was lying, right? He had to be lying.
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱A part of Asmodeus seemed unable to believe what he had just heard, but another part seemed happy to see me finally changing my way of thinking.It was as if he was trying to decide if he wanted me as someone who needed protection, who sometimes seemed happy, and someone who clearly didn't know what love meant, but finally had individuality."Asmodeus" I called out to him snapping him out of his trance "I'll be fine, even if I'm not with him."Those words didn't seem real, not least because a part of me - whether it was the reading part or a fragment of what Asra felt for Callisto -, still wanted to be by the king's side."You..." he stopped "if you say so."He muttered as if he was trying to convince himself, as if he believed my words, even though they seemed surreal, and I knew they did.Callisto had been my addiction, my obsession. Whether it was as who I was before or as Asra.I could still remember all the times I had protected him in fan forums, in social me
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Calisto ⋅• ♱Loren moved around inside the carriage, looking much more excited than usual."We really are out here!" he said with a huge smile and I couldn't help but laugh.My sweet son was really surprised. It wasn't really something to be surprised about, after all... Loren had never left that place. He had never set foot outside the walls that protected the capital.He was not even allowed to go out in the small village."Yes...we are" I spoke again extending one of my hands to support him. To make sure he didn't fall off the bench straight to the ground "but try to sit up, son...you might end up hurt."Like a good child, he just ignored me and continued to kneel on the bench with both hands on the carriage glass.I knew it was crazy and a part of me seriously wondered what sanity I had left.Had I really done all that to make sure Asra was okay? Or was the truth that I was jealous?I huffed.It couldn't be that. It was Asmodeus, even if he was the prince of