The Demon’s Bride

Song: Amelie— Yann tiersen

Time move forward and in a blink of an eye for Elise as she read through Ernest's memory. One month had passed after the last memory she saw and this time, she was met with Dalton who was busy picking up flowers he found when he was done, he left to find the toys from the boxes that he had on his room, dolls, and all that he could take that give a moment of enjoyment for the children.

As he was about to leave his room, he sneaked down the staircase when he heard sounds of people arguing again. It wasn't the first time, therefore, Dalton wasn't surprise but he was worried. The little boy sneaked on the side of the staircase where the wall was and jerked out his head carefully to peek into what had made his parents to argue again.

It was then when Dalton caught sight of his parents standing in front of a man who was cloaked in black. The two consulted, saying words that Dalton paid good attention to, "He wasn't changing. Oh, my poor boy..." his mother cried again.

Mr. Lone who held his wife's shoulders so she won't fall or faint then said, "We have done everything we could, sire but nothing seemed worked in this ritual."

"How is the condition of the boy?" The man then asked, paying no attention no ounce of concern on the two's situation.

"He... he has been sick with fever and shivering all night but there are no signs of my son's soul replaced to his body," answered Mr. Lone.

Both Elise and Dalton's eyes turned wide. She realized what kind of ritual that the couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lone had been attempting. It was the resurrecting ritual. But boy...? Does that mean their son had died?

Shivers run down Elise's spine. She looked down, her eyes falling on Dalton, seeing that the boy was not a ghost, she then questioned which boy the couple meant. In time she lifted her eyes and chin, she caught sight of the small family portrait hung on the wall. In the portrait there had been two boys standing beside Mr. and Mrs. Lone. Elise didn't put her attention to it earlier but now that she had taken a better look at it, she realized that one of the two boys was someone who she hadn't seen... it was the true second son.

"We would need more sacrifices," answered the dark sorcerer, "we have to put the boy to more darkness and pain in order for the ritual to be done—"

The dark sorcerer's eyes snapped to his right shoulders and the couple saw the man quickly running toward the spot where Dalton had been standing at. However when he reached to the side of the wall, he saw nothing.

"Is something the matter, sire...?" Mr. Lone questioned, confused at what had suddenly caused the dark sorcerer to quickly dash. 

"No. I had thought I sensed a presence of a third person around us but it seems I was mistaken," yet as he said so, the man's eyes fell on the floor where he saw the trace of mud on the floor which had been in a shape of a small shoe.

Dalton had made a run toward the darkest room in the mansion in which Ernest spent all his time at. Opening the door with haste, he came abruptly, surprising Ernest who then quickly change his expression into a milder gaze, stopping what he had been doing in the deafening darkness. 

"Ernest," Dalton ran inside the room, haste on his face as he said, "You need to leave the house. You need to leave here now!"

"W... what's wrong brother?" Ernest asked, an innocent expression that would free one from any doubt. Elise cannot tell if this was a mask Ernest had put on or if it was the truth.

"Mother and father... they are planning to do worse thing to you from now on," the boy said with a regretful face, "You have to leave." Dalton stood up after crouching on the ground while reaching out his hand. Ernest looked at him with a confused and baffled look and Elise could tell at once what had been running in the boy's head.

Unlike Dalton who was a simple child, Ernest didn't seen to be the same. He was thinking how he would survive with the small body while Dalton who was still a child didn't know the harsh environment outside his mansion which could even be worse for the boy. Yet faced with the hand to Elise's surprise, Ernest had took hold of Dalton's hand and the two boys ran outside the mansion, crossing the garden and far away to the direction of the forest.

But it didn't took long for them to be found out. Dalton cried as Ernest was brought away. His mother had been furious of the little stunt he pulled and angrily questioned whether he liked Ernest more compared to his dead younger brother.

Dalton replied, "But mother, Ernest is still alive. He is not dead yet!"

Elise who saw what transpired didn't missed the shock on Ernest's face which somewhere appeared as if he was making a thought to himself.

"He cannot stay here any longer," at night, Mrs. Lone had spoken to her husband regarding the close tied relationship between Ernest and Dalton. "We should send him to the boarding school as soon as tomorrow."

"We won't be able to meet him again," Mr. Lone objected but his wife insisted.

"It is better than having any of our plan ruined! They almost left the house and if that happened and someone had caught a wind about what we are doing, let alone bringing our dear son, Jack, we are going to lose our life and Dalton's!" 

Mr. Lone was in a deep thought before he sighed, "Alright. I will contact the boarding school by today evening." While Mr. and Mrs. Lone conversation exchanged, Elise's eyes moved over the door noticing the faint figure disappearing in the darkness.

Meanwhile outside of the dream, Beelzebub who stared at the pendant that had been shattered to unfixable pieces was in a shock. On the other hand Lady Caroline begin to laugh, "How stupid."

Satan was confused by Caroline's joyful laughter.

"Congratulation, Satan. You have just broke your contract."