The Demon’s Bride

Throughout the night that was still high, on a certain forest located in Runalia, birds fell on the ground lifelessly along with another few birds as if they had flown toward the wrong place and died due to the air which was brimming with a thick scent of blood. 

A woman came sneaking to the forest. She was halfway near her destination when she suddenly stopped her feet from stepping on the ground. Using another path, she bent down her body after seeing the bodies of birds scattering on the ground. She noticed that the place was guarded by black magic and if one had stepped inside carelessly as the poor birds and animals did, they would die. Reaching out her hand, she whispered a spell beneath her breath, standing up again to enter the same spot.

The woman didn't stop, continuing her steps until she reached the end of the forest where there was an abandoned church. During the moonless night, the church appeared gray and blue in color, more than half of the church's roof collapsed, leaving it to appear as if someone had taken a large bite out of the top left side of the church. An eerie wind blew her black hair which she quickly pulled back to her ears.

Despite how there were many signs of death, blood-stained and the eerie bell-like chiming, the girl didn't stop and continue to walk inside the building. She only stopped when she reached the broken stone altar. Making her way around it, the woman bent down to the wooden floor, her littlest movements cause creaks and she knocked on it thrice until she felt something was right and made her way to trace over that spot before finding something similar to a knob.

Pulling it, the ladder attached to the door fell and the woman quickly makes her way to descend.

"Late again, Esther," said someone from her left before Esther was able to make her last steps to reach the ground. "I see it must be delightful to play as the naive village girl. You look more demure than before. I take that your personality has mellowed as well?"

Esther made her way to the ground, when she saw who it was, she rolled her eyes, "Wyatt," she called the man's name and her eyes looked away, making her way to leave when the man caught her by her arm.

"Don't be so hurry to leave we can-"

"I don't speak with garbage, ultimately people who cannot do anything when they fought against me. It's a shame for a man like you to lose in a fight with me, which why I suggest you rather than stepping on my business, you should fuck away," Esther interrupted the man before she was able to speak. 

Wyatt didn't take her harsh word and rejection kindly. His eyes turned brighter in golden color and Esther stared back at him calmly, disregarding the steal-like clutch on her arm. "I kept quiet and polite with you, but that doesn't me I will allow you to mock me," said Wyatt through his gritted teeth.

"Angry?" Esther curled her lips. She wasn't the least deterred by Wyatt's intense gaze, instead, her eyes burn brighter than the man, "That's a better look on you rather than that disgusting way of flirting to me. I only like strong men. A shame you are not. I would rather be with your sister, Daphne than you."

Wyatt's sorest spot was to be compared with his sister who was much better than him in terms of intellect and ability. Poking the bear, Esther knew what Wyatt was going to do as she had provoked the man in purpose. The last thread in Wyatt's short temperament snapped when Esther turned her head, tilting it to the side, "Why? Scared of biting the dust, little boy?"

Within seconds, Wyatt's hand raised up but he was stopped as someone had taken hold of his arm. He twisted his neck toward the person who held him, ready to fight both Esther and the person only to stop when he saw it was his sister, Daphne, "It's not pretty if we fight here in the presence of the Lord."

Esther didn't expect the last word that came from Daphne's mouth. Her eyes widened and she stopped her gaze at Daphne whose smile was still wide on her lips, "The Lord? I didn't know he would come."

"I wasn't aware either. It seemed he wanted to surprise us, like us: the corrupted Angel and dark sorcerer have achieved something everyone thought would never happen. The successful experiment of resurrecting the dead," Diana said calmly with a smile, the woman showed a gentle expression but Esther didn't miss the way her lips curl high with excitement.

"I can tell something great is going on with you," Esther pried, it was never too wrong to try finding out other's situation which she could use for herself in the future.

"Well, the Lord is here," which was a lie, thought Esther, "And how is it going with you? You seem...fine."

"And you are right," Esther smiled back, she then looked at her arm, "Let go," she said, her eyes sharply stare at Wyatt's hand that was on her wrist. "I hope you will achieve what you want Daphne, but I guess, now you have other goals as you have achieved the previous one?" Esther said, and Daphne's smile lowered while watching the woman leaving.

"If you weren't here, I would have taught her a lesson," Wyatt stressed his face twist in anger. 

"You won't be able to," started Daphne and she raised her hand in front of her brother who turned angry upon her word, "You are powerful Wyatt, but that woman is just on a different league of herself. She has been by the Lord's side for years and that shows just how precious her power is. We can't afford to offend the Lord. At least not me and not today," Daphne stressed, her eyes looking pointedly at his brother. "You can do what you like outside."

Wyatt's jaw ticked, his hand clenched tighter for his knuckles to turn white from the lack of blood flow. He had tolerated Esther's rude behavior multiple times and swore that the next time the woman had mocked him again, he swore to himself that he would tear her to pieces and humiliate her the way she did to him, regardless if that would incur their Lord's anger.

Esther made her steps away from the sibling, turning her head once she was far enough, the knot in her brows tightened. In the same stance, Esther continues to walk, resulting in her colliding with a person who was exiting the place. The person's body was covered all in a deep maroon cloak. "I wasn't paying attention," Esther said, being one who dislike futile arguments she was about to apologize further when the person bowed and left.

Something caught on Esther's nose, a thick smell, reminding her of something familiar which she couldn't point her finger on. "Strange, why does that person's scent feel familiar?" Not wanting to waste time dealing with the strange collision, Esther made her way to the inner hall. After a while of waiting, everyone finally arrives.

Unlike her, Wyatt, and Daphne, most people covered their faces, as if fear one of them would know their identity as it would lead to them getting killed. They thought by hiding their faces, if one day was to appear where they slip up and make mistake, the Lord wouldn't be able to find and finishes them off which was stupid because Esther knew the man who everyone called as the Lord, the person who leads the dark sorcerer would be able to see through everything including the thin fabric of cloak.

Not long after, Thomas stepped out in the middle of the place. The hall where they were in consisted of two floors. The people circled while the main stage was in the middle so everyone would be able to see the person who stood there clearly. 

"The Lord expressed his happiness to see that everyone has arrived together to witness our first step to the possible future," Thomas announced, greeting the people who were around the place, "You all might wonder where the Lord is but he is right behind me in this room that is covered by a black curtain."

Esther's eyes followed the place where Thomas announced, seeing the shadowy figure of a man standing straight and poise on a chair with his hands placed on his crossed legs. Even though Esther had worked under the Lord for longer than she remembered, there had never been a time where she had seen his face, she could only tell he was a man in his late twenties, the rest of his profile remain unknown to her and she had never even heard his voice.

Today, however, he surprised her as a voice crisply came from the other side of the room, "Thank you, Thomas."

The Lord has spoken too quickly for Esther to register his voice in her mind and she regretted doing so. She waited for another chance for the Lord to speak but he didn't and the room turn rowdy as rain-like applause filled the small room. When Thomas raised his hand, the applause halted and he continued,

"I am sure everyone has been waiting now, to see our result of experimentation. Therefore, I will not prolong the suspense any longer. Let's welcome our first successful resurrected soul," said Thomas, his lips curl high and the people in the room begin to applause. Esther shifted her gaze across the room, meeting eyes with Daphne who was also smiling, but the smile Esther found was different from the rest as it was beaming with delight.

"Everyone, let us welcome William!" Thomas announced and everyone's eyes fell on the left side of the room. Small footsteps began to fill the room that has turn still as more people were intrigued to see the successful form of the resurrection ritual. Most of them held their breaths in eagerness as this was one step to throwing chaos to the world if they ever succeed.

Everyone's eyes turn wide when they saw the person who came wasn't a man or woman, like their expectation. It wasn't even an adult but a boy whose age was still between fourteen to fifteen. His hair was in a color of bright golden while his eyes had turned deep black. Some were disappointed as their expectation was lowered when they saw a child.

Esther, however, once meeting the boy felt a chill ran on her spine. Appearing on the stage, the boy didn't appear with a smile or a nervous expression. Instead, he had a calm expression similar to a calm before storm and his black eyes were like a fathomless abyss that one could never stare too long at them for fear of having their soul suck in by the pair of black eyes. He seemed soulless, but at the same time felt as if he was holding a great anger and resentment inside of him.

"Or if I should say now," Thomas widened his grin, his eyes looking to his left where William was standing at, "The Second generation of the High Demon Diablo, Caleb."

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A/N: Don't forget to vote~~ Were you surprised? I feel like getting a fever tomorrow because today, my body feels sluggish, so I am not sure if I am in well condition while writing this. And I can tell there must be a lot of grammatical errors, apologies for that. Enjoy~