.....
On a vast, snowy terrain with rocky plains and turbulent winds, there stood a huge and terrifying mountain shrouded in darkness. But if one looked closer, they could see what appeared to be a dark castle perched on the mountain's highest point, torches flickering to life within its walls.
Inside the castle, in the master room, a bat-like, winged monster lay sprawled across a massive bed, slowly awakening from its slumber.
"Zena!" Athos shouted, his voice echoing through the desolate landscape of his mind. Memories of his downfall flooded back, and his head reeled in agony as tears streamed down his face.
"I am alone forever?" he muttered as the realization hit him. He has been banished from his home and the people he once considered as family, all because he'd fought for the sake of loosing someone dear to him
He slowly stood up from the bed, as the weight of his misfortune settled heavy on his shoulders. His gaze fell upon the surroundings, and he realized he was in the mountain that bore his name.
Meanwhile, a few feet away, a little girl shivered with fear, her eyes fixed on the the hellish sight before her.
Then his gaze fell on her. He looked at the little girl with pity, "Don't be scared little girl." He said trying to comfort her, his monstrous form a stark contrast to her innocence. "n-no please don't kill me demon." She stepped back, clutching the wall tightly, her eyes wide with terror.
Athos wasn't surprised; he was a monster, after all. He'd frighten anyone. "I promise I won't hurt you.." He stretched out a clawed hand, his husky voice doing little to reassure her. The girl trembled, then slowly crawled towards him.
"What's your name.." he asked softly.
"r-rose." Her voice was barely audible.
"Ok, Rose.. my name is Athos. Where are your parents?"
"i-i they're dead." She broke down, sobbing halfway through speaking.
Athos's expression twisted in shared pain. He scooped her up gently and headed for the door, his massive wings folding around her like a dark shield.
But as he drew nearer, it suddenly burst open. Two armed men stood in the doorway. "Give us the girl.." they growled, weapons raised.
The room was a bit dark, making Athos look like a normal human in their eyes. He looked at the men with disgust, for he thought they were the same mortals whom the light loved more than his angels.
Anger burned deep in his heart, something primal rising in him.
"And what happens if I don't?" he growled.
"Then you both die," they said, charging forward. Athos's eyes flashed, and he swiped his bony hands at them, slicing their necks deep. Blood gushed out as they groped at their throats, "A-hh a-rg-gh demon" escaping their lips before they dropped dead.
The shadows seemed to writhe on the walls as Athos's eyes blazed with a fierce, otherworldly energy. The air was heavy with the stench of death and sulfur. "What's this?" he growled, his voice low and menacing. His palm was ablaze with dark flames that seemed to pulse with malevolent intent.
Rose trembled, her eyes fixed on the flames, but Athos knew she needed to be stronger. "Rose," he said, dropping her down. "I can't always be there for you, but I'll give you enough power to kill anyone who gets in your way. Do you accept?"
Her eyes locked onto Athos's, and for a moment, she saw the monster behind the mask. She saw the shadows that haunted him, the pain that drove him. And she saw something else – a spark of determination, a glimmer of hope. She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-i yes.."
Athos's smile was cruel and grim, as he placed his hands on Rose's head. The dark energy surged into her, and she felt a rush of power, a sense of invincibility. She stood up, her eyes blazing with a fierce confidence.
"Rise, my demon," Athos whispered, his voice a caress. "Rise, and let them tremble before you." He said, smiling for he liked that line that seemed to instill fear in the hearts of many
---
Snow finished her story, and Kyle remained seated on the bed, utterly motionless. His expression was blank, his mind struggling to process everything he had just heard about the great angel Athos—the one who had become the first great demon.
"I can't believe the Light did that to his beloved angel," Kyle muttered, replaying Snow's words in his mind.
"Of course," Snow replied coldly. "Angels aren't as pure as they claim to be."
"Rose…" He whispered. The name echoed in his thoughts, and only one person came to mind.
"Lilith." She had once told him she had been human before Lucifer transformed her, but now Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that there was far more to her past.
"Then that means the world's view of demons is wrong…"
"It was the so-called Light that cast Athos aside just because he loved?" A strange sense of relief washed over him, as he learned the true origin of demons.
"All my life, I thought we demons were the bad ones…" He slowly stood up and stared out the window, his thoughts swirling chaotically.
"Then what happened to Athos and Rose?"
"They went on to build the demon army and gain more power," Snow answered.
"I know that. But what happened to them afterward?" Kyle pressed, hoping Snow might reveal something about Lilith.
"I'm sorry. That's all the data I have for now."
Kyle felt a twinge of disappointment, but he quickly brushed it aside. If he wanted answers, he would ask Lilith himself.
"I'm glad I'm a demon," he said quietly as he walked out of the room.
"What are you planning to do?" Snow asked. She already listened to his thoughts, but she wanted to hear his decision.
"Become a real demon."
He slipped through the first floor, his footsteps light.
But a new problem remained—how would he get past the security and nurses at the reception?
"Shouldn't I have a skill that lets me change my appearance however I want?"
"You do, but it's locked for now."
"Hmmm. Then how am I supposed to get out?" He slapped his forehead in frustration, his head snapping back slightly.
"Damn it… I shouldn't have done that." His head still throbbed from the overwhelming flood of information about Athos.
Then he glanced sideways. "They don't seem normal…" He muttered, noticing a group of about fourteen men and five women entering through the hospital doors.
As they passed, the security guards and nurses didn't even dare look at them, they just kept bowing their heads until the group walked by.
Kyle watched them closely and immediately recognized them as people he despised.
"Gangsters…" He whispered, spotting the snake tattoos on the right side of their faces—except for the women.
"I'm already sick of this place…" One of them groaned, clutching his stomach.
Kyle's enhanced hearing caught every word.
"Yeah, this place reeks of dead people," another scoffed.
"Relax. We'll be out soon. We just need to find that boy," the man in the middle said.
He had two of the most beautiful women clinging to him as if they belonged to him alone.
"Of course, boss…" the others replied.
They walked past Kyle toward the stairs, but his eyes never left the man in the middle.
"He looks familiar…" Kyle thought. He felt like he had seen someone like him before.
"Hey, what are you staring at?" A man with razor-cut hair and a deep scar shoved Kyle to the floor.
The entire group stopped, and the boss turned to look at him.
"Uh… sorry! I lost my way…" Kyle said, bowing his head. He didn't want to attract attention, but people were already watching.
"Really? Then maybe we should pluck out those eyes of yours."
"No. Let him go Dimitri," The boss said calmly, studying Kyle for a moment before turning away.
"You're lucky this time, kid," Dimitri said, dragging his thumb across his throat in a slow, deliberate motion, before following the others.
"What are you doing?" Snow asked.
"Following them, of course," Kyle replied, quietly trailing the gangsters up to the second floor.